


Fighting For What's Good

by deputyydipshit



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Medieval, I Don't Even Know, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Multi, Swordfighting, Swords & Sorcery, Why Did I Write This?, no one asked for this but here it is anyway, the one where nicole is a witch, this has big Anastasia vibes, waverly is the one chasing after nicole this time omg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-02-19 03:15:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 39,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22804378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deputyydipshit/pseuds/deputyydipshit
Summary: Four years ago, Bulshar and the Widows led a rebellion against the kingdom of Purgatory (an unfortunate name for a kingdom, I know) and killed all of the royal family except for Princess Waverly. Will the princess fight to regain the throne that is rightfully hers, or will he let Bulshar and his army use their unnatural tactics for possible world domination?
Relationships: Rosita Bustillos/Wynonna Earp, Waverly Earp & Chrissy Nedley, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught, Waverly Earp/Wynonna Earp, Xavier Dolls/Wynonna Earp
Comments: 25
Kudos: 97





	1. Only She Remains

Waverly ran down the long, winding hall of the castle with quick feet and quiet steps. She carried her items close to her body, minimizing the amount of noise she would make. Her breaths were short and labored, but almost silent. She knew her life was in danger and if she wasn’t quiet, she would get caught. If she didn’t make it to the stables in time, she knew the rebel forces that had killed her aunt and uncle were going to find her and kill her as well. She was headed toward a hidden staircase at the back of the castle, running through dimly lit corridors and dogging various suits of armor standing on either side of the walls. Sensing she was near, Waverly trusted her instincts and turned left. She found the torch on the wall and pulled down on it, a door appearing in the wall and revealing a dark stairwell. Waverly took a deep breath and began to run down a small spiral staircase, taking the steps two at a time.

The cement steps scratched at the bottoms of her feet, slowing her progress drastically. Waverly stopped for a moment to compose herself and, in that time, slipped on her boots. Continuing down the staircase with her now covered feet, Waverly hoped and prayed she wouldn’t trip over her laces. Stopping to tie them now was only going to be a huge loss of time, and that was time she couldn’t afford to give up at the hands of a pair of untied leather boots.

Aside from her clothes and a small leather satchel, Waverly was equipped only with the sword her aunt had given her just minutes before. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to fight off many soldiers, therefore fighting would have to be avoided at all costs. It would be much easier and quicker to run straight to the stables, but she couldn’t risk being spotted. So taking the long way was her only option. Waverly cursed herself for not paying attention during the sword-fighting lessons her uncle had ordered her to attend over the past few years. She learned the stances and combat maneuvers, but she never once put forth much effort; she’d much rather read about combat than take any part in it. All of those years she could have been preparing for this very moment and she had thrown it all away. It was almost as if her uncle had known there was a rebellion brewing in his kingdom.

Waverly shook her head and cleared her mind of all negative thoughts when she reached the wooden door leading out the side of the castle. She couldn’t let her mind become convoluted with the things she couldn’t control anymore. She had a mission to accomplish and that was saving her own life. She threw the door open and ran out, letting it shut behind her. Her boots fell silent once more against the grass beneath her feet as she made her way around the corner of the small hallway she found herself in. Waverly followed the path she was familiar with and saw the sables in the distance. Upon seeing the stalls, she let out a deep breath.  _ Freedom _ , she thought to herself, running at full speed toward her horse. Up until now, she hadn’t seen any rebel soldiers, which she thought to be very odd and extremely suspicious.

They had raided her kingdom, ransacked her castle, and yet there were no soldiers in sight. If the situation weren’t so pressing, Waverly would have thought more about it and constructed a logical hypothesis, but she had no time to waste. Just because she hadn’t encountered any rebels yet didn’t mean she wouldn’t see any soon.

Wavely unlocked the door to her horse’s stall and slowly opened it wincing at the loud creaking the hinges made.  _ I really hope there aren’t any rebels around here that heard that. _ She quickly, but quietly, saddled up her horse and hopped on.

Getting to the stables was the easy part, getting off the castle grounds alive...well, that was something else.

Waverly knew her way around the grounds with her eyes closed, like the back of her hand. She knew every turn and hidden pathway like it was second nature to her. She knew  _ how _ to get off the grounds, but the issue standing between herself and safety was a whole lot of armed soldiers and magic. Without thinking, Waverly decided to take off and let fate guide her. She’d find a way out even if it killed her.

And it just might.

As soon as her horse had left the stables, Waverly heard yelling. In an instant, she was being chased by a handful of rebel soldiers who spotted her. Waverly panicked at that moment and didn’t know what to do, but her instincts took over, which she was thankful for. She sliced her sword through the sea of armor-clad soldiers flawlessly, striking down soldiers left and right. The more she knocked down, the more that showed up. She felt like it was never ending, and she kept begging for the front gates to appear ahead.

Waverly continued on like this for nearly a mile, slashing rebels and trying to gain some amount of ground. Finally, the gate was in sight and, luckily for Waverly, it was wide open.  _ Stupid rebels. You could have at least locked the gate. _ Waverly kicked her horse with both feet and it charged forward. She continued to knock over soldiers with her sword as the distance between herself and the gate diminished.

_ Ten feet… _

Her horse trampled fallen soldiers beneath its hooves. Screaming rang out in the form of battle cries from approaching soldiers. Waverly sucked in a sharp breath.

_ Five feet… _

Waverly swung her sword blindly, not being able to watch the countless bodies pile up at her hand. Blood splattered onto her hand and left side of her face. She narrowed her eyes, wiped her cheek, and pressed on.

_ Three feet… _

Waverly’s horse passed through the gate and continued down the cobblestone street that led to a nearby village. The rebel soldiers didn’t chase her, which both scared Waverly and gave her a sense of relief. She kept her sword drawn as a precaution, mostly to make herself feel safer and more comfortable. She wiped her hands free of the blood of her enemies and shuttered at the thought of how many people she had just killed. She had gone from being bloodless, to having a heaping body count in just minutes. It was scary and aggravating at the same time, but Waverly knew she had to do what she did. It was her only chance of surviving. 

As she continued through the village at full speed, Waverly’s mind started drifting. The further from the castle she got, the less she thought about her escape and the more she thought about what had happened inside the castle just moments before her life changed forever. She had been asleep when her aunt, the queen, came charging into her room...

_ “Waverly! Sweetheart! Wake up!” The queen said in a loud whisper. “You must get out of here now!” _

_ “Aunt Gus? What’s going on?” Waverly sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes, sleep filling her voice. _

_ “Listen to me, Waverly. Bulshar has infiltrated the kingdom and has sent rebel forces inside the castle. He intends on getting rid of the royal family, he intends on  _ killing _ the royal family. Your Uncle is already dead and I’m sure you and I are next on their list. I need you to get out of here and run as far away as you can.” _

_ “Wait, what? Uncle Curtis is dead?” Waverly got out of her bed and resisted the urge to stretch her limbs. She faced her aunt. “You have to come with me!” _

_ “No, I can’t. You’re the next in line for the throne, Waverly. The Widows and Bulsar and all of their soldiers will want to get rid of any threats to their new order. I want you to run as far away as possible and, when the time comes, come back and restore our family to the throne.” She placed a hand on Waverly’s cheek. “I believe in you, Waverly.” _

_ “But where do I go?” _

_ “Just get as far away as possible. Take this with you,” Gus handed Waverly a sword from behind her back. “May it protect you and keep you safe.” _

_ Waverly took the sword and stared down at the long, glistening blade in her hands. There was a ‘J’ engraved on the hilt, just below a black obsidian stone, and she gently ran her thumb over the letter. “Who’s was this?” _

_ “You need to get going,” Gus took a step back. “Take the horse in the stable. And Waverly?” _

_ “Yes?” Waverly’s voice was shaky, tears streaming down her cheeks. _

_ “You’ll make us all proud. I just know it,” Gus stepped forward again and placed a gentle kiss on Waverly’s forehead. “Stay safe, my angel.” And with that she left the room, leaving the princess alone. _

_ Waverly realized this would be the last time in her room for a long time so she quickly changed into a simple outfit: a linen shirt with riding pants, boots, and a black cape. She also took what remained of her parents, the only things she knew of them. She grabbed her mother’s necklace and her father’s ring, putting the necklace chain through it before placing it around her neck. She stifled a sob, grabbed the sword, and ran toward the spiral staircase that led to the stables without stopping to put her boots on. _

Waverly took a shaky breath and let it out slowly, finally taking in the situation and realizing her family was dead. Bulshar had brutally taken each member of her family away from her. She was alone, and that was the hardest of pills to swallow. She had an entire kingdom relying on her now. She didn’t feel worthy of taking over the kingdom when the time came, but she couldn't break her promise. Her aunt and uncle died with full faith and trust in her, and she wasn’t going to disappoint them. 

Waverly exited the village she had been riding through and decided to put a good bit of distance between herself and the town before stopping and making a plan. After riding straight through the night, Waverly finally stopped when she saw the sun rising in the distant east. She was on a dirt road in between two small villages, neither of which she really recognized. She got off her horse and walked it into the woods, remembering that her uncle had once told her of a stream not too far off the path. She didn’t know exactly where she was, but Waverly knew the woods of her kingdom better than anyone.

After only a few minutes of walking, Waverly finally heard the sound of running water and knew she’d found the stream. She got some water for herself and her horse and relished in the way the cool liquid felt against her hot and sweaty skin. Waverly dried her face off with the bottom of her shirt and sat down on the side of the stream to rest and think. She placed her head in her hands and realized she had no shelter and no food, but most importantly...she had no plan.

There was no way for her to regain the throne at this rate. She was alone and she was severely unequipped and underprepared for what laid ahead. The only thing she had on her side was the engraved sword her aunt gave her, and her horse, but she knew that that alone wouldn’t be enough. She would need to make allies, but she didn’t know where to go or who to trust at this point. She could only assume that all of her family, and all those loyal to them, were dead. Only one thing was certain to Waverly in that moment: she was the only survivor.


	2. She's a Witch!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey, what’s going on in the center of town?”
> 
> “There’s supposed to be a witch trial today. That’s why Dad’s in a good mood. It’s great for business when a witch is burned.”
> 
> “How is it good for business?” Waverly watched more townspeople walk past them.
> 
> “People usually come to buy extra food so they can celebrate afterwards.”
> 
> “Seems kind of unsettling to celebrate the death of someone but...” Waverly looked further past the walking people, and to the center of town. She had never seen a witch trial, or burning, before and was intrigued by the idea. “Why do they hold these trials?”
> 
> “The Widows are crazy when it comes to a threat to their so-called ‘power’.” Chrissy shrugged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got impatient and decided to post chapter two the day after the first chapter was posted. Sue me. This one has more meat and is definitely not as boring as the last one I promise
> 
> As always, enjoy!

**_Four Years Later_ **

The sun was already high in the sky despite it being early in the morning, but Waverly was up and about. She had already eaten the last of her food ration and was currently preparing for a trip to the nearby village, where she was hoping to be able to purchase more food with what few coins she had left. She realized it would take her several hours to get to the village, and that it would end up being a whole day’s trip, but she knew it was more than worth it. She would starve otherwise. Four years ago, Waverly would have never risked going out into the open without any kind of disguise, but since the rebel leaders, Bulshar’s second in command and wives, the Widows, pronounced her dead soon after her escape, no one seemed to mind her.

Habits were formed over the four years Waverly spent in hiding. She concealed her true identity to everyone she met, hiding any and every indication that she was royalty. No one could be trusted as far as her knowledge went, so she played things safe and stuck to the shadows. She built a small fortress of her own out of fallen tree branches and other items she acquired at the nearby village. She quickly became friends with the local baker’s daughter, Chrissy Nedley, since she consistently helped Waverly get more food than she had money for. Waverly fell into an easy trust with the other girl, and she was more than thankful for the company when she came to stop by.

After gathering what she needed for the trip, Waverly wrapped herself in her robe, grabbed her sword and concealed it beneath the robe, and slung her bag over her shoulder. If she left now and continued on at a steady pace, she should reach the village by mid-morning, just after the Nedley’s open their shop for the day. The thought and smell of freshly baked bread made her mouth water. Maybe it was because she didn’t eat like she used to in the castle, or maybe it’s because she was spoiled before, but Waverly thought Chrissy’s bread was the most amazing thing she ever tasted.

Shaking her head and clearing her thoughts of anything food related, Waverly giggled quietly to herself and set off for the village. It was the middle of the summer, but the temperatures weren’t nearly as high as they usually were which Waverly was thankful for. The cooler weather made her trips easier since she had to let her horse run free and take everything on by foot. While she walked, she sang softly songs her aunt used to sing to her at night, when she was younger and afraid of the very thing that just happened. They kept her calm and reminded her that everything was going to be okay.

Waverly arrived in the town a few hours later and waved to the stable boy, a man not much older than herself with tattoos up and down his arms and a constant smirk plastered on his face.

“Hey there, Waverly. It’s been a while since I’ve see you here, yeah?” He said.

“I was here just a few weeks ago, Champ,” Waverly replied, walking right past him.

“I guess you just couldn’t stay away from Champ of Hard James, could you?” Champ asked proudly, hands on his hips, and followed the brunette.

“It’s more like I ran out of food and need more in order to survive.”

“Why don’t I treat you today? Let me buy some food for you. I’ll take good care of you,” Champ grinned.

“I don’t need your filthy money, and I certainly don’t need to be taken care of,” Waverly rolled her eyes and pushed past Champ, nearing the bakery.

“My money isn’t filth. I make it on my own,” Champ replied, grabbing Waverly’s wrist and stopping her.

“You make it on your own by  _ stealing it  _ on your own,” Waverly corrected and tried to free her wrist. “Let me go, Champ.”

“Let me take care of you,” Champ repeated and stepped closer into Waverly’s space.

“I said no.”

“How about just a kiss then? It’ll be worth your while,” he winked.

“Hey! Ponyboy! She said no.”

Waverly’s head whipped around and her eyes landed on Chrissy standing just outside of the bakery. She let out a sigh of relief and turned back to face Champ. Chrissy approached the two and placed a hand on Waverly’s shoulder.

“She’s not here for you, she’s here for me,” Chrissy smiled sarcastically.

“This is none of your business, bread girl,” Champ spat.

“Maybe not, but I can still get my dad out here. He’s the former sheriff of this town, remember. His badge still sits on the mantle above the fireplace. He can still throw your tatted ass in a cell.”

“You girls are no fun,” Champ rolled his eyes and released Waverly’s wrist. He turned and walked back to the stables, Waverly and Chrissy watching with smug smiles.

After he was out of sight, Waverly turned to Chrissy and reached up to cover the hand the blond still had on her shoulder. Waverly gave her hand a light squeeze and gentle smile, thanking her with her eyes. Chrissy returned the smile and pulled her friend into a tight embrace.

“I keep telling you...you’ve gotta come in another way. Otherwise, he’ll keep harassing you like that.”

“I can handle myself on my own, Chris,” Waverly returned the hug.

“Oh I know you can, but Champ isn’t someone  _ anyone _ needs to deal with.”

“Well,” Waverly stepped back and shrugged. “I’m safe now. Thanks to you.”

“It was nothing. I chase pests out of here all the time,” Chrissy smiled and waved a dismissive hand.

Waverly laughed and gently nudged Chrissy with her shoulder.

“So how are things going, girl? I haven’t seen you in a month!” The blonde beamed.

“All is well.” Waverly smiled. “Though, I ran out of food and I, uh...don’t know if I can afford anymore right now,” she looked down to avoid her best friend’s face. She hated asking Chrissy for things because she felt like she was taking advantage of the nice girl and her family.

“Well, you’ve come at the perfect time! Dad just pulled some bread out of the oven,” Chrissy leaned in and whispered, “I think he’ll be okay if a loaf or two just... _ disappears _ .”

“I could never ask you for that much,” Waverly shook her head.

“Well, you’re not asking. I’m offering, and I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“I can’t thank you enough, Chrissy. I’ll have to repay you sometime.”

“Don’t thank me, I’m just helping a friend. No charge,” Chrissy winked and walked into the shop. 

Waverly stayed at the entrance, outside, looking at the busy villagers. It was a beautiful day and everyone seemed to be out and about, making their daily rounds about the shops. Families were strolling about the street, kids laughing and chasing each other around. The sound brought a smile to Waverly’s face.  _ At least there’s still  _ some _ happiness going around, _ she thought. The Widows hadn’t successfully burned the light out of the kingdom just yet.

Not long after Chrissy had gone inside, an influx of villagers passed by in the direction of the town center. Waverly looked around to see if there was any sign of the Widows, or their guards, but found none.

Chrissy came back out with a cloth bag and handed it to Waverly. “I got you two loaves and a couple of oranges, too. You’re lucky Dad’s in a good mood today,” she smiled.

“Thank you, Chrissy,” Waverly hugged her friend and took the bag, slinging it over her shoulder. “Hey, what’s going on in the center of town?”

“There’s supposed to be a witch trial today. That’s why Dad’s in a good mood. It’s great for business when a witch is burned.”

“How is it good for business?” Waverly watched more townspeople walk past them.

“People usually come to buy extra food so they can celebrate afterwards.”

“Seems kind of unsettling to celebrate the death of someone but...” Waverly looked further past the walking people, and to the center of town. She had never seen a witch trial, or burning, before and was intrigued by the idea. “Why do they hold these trials?”

“The Widows are crazy when it comes to a threat to their so-called ‘power’.” Chrissy shrugged. Waverly froze at the mention of the twisted spider sisters, but the blonde didn’t seem to notice as she continued. “Sometimes, they’re pretty boring since the ones accused of witchcraft often turn out to be innocent.”

“Huh,” Waverly muttered and nodded, her eyes still tracking the villagers passing by.

“You want to go, don’t you?” Chrissy asked her friend after a minute of silence, hands on her hips, a smug grin on her face.

“Yeah. I do.” Waverly turned around to face the blond. “Want to come with me? Apparently it’s loads of fun!” She mocked the blonde with a laugh.

Chrissy snorted and nodded. “Sure thing! Let me just go tell Dad.”

\- - - - -

Chrissy and Waverly made it to the center of town shortly after the ceremony had begun. They stood in the middle of the crowd which was surrounding a makeshift wooden platform. On the platform was an elderly man, two soldiers whose armor dorned the Bulshar’s crest, and a beautiful young woman. She had pale skin, and bright orange hair that was pulled up and out of her face. Her eyes were as brown as mahogany wood, something that was strong and sturdy. In the center of the platform was a pile of wood at the base of a large, wooden pole. Waverly could only assume that was where the burning would occur after the trial. The old man began speaking, listing off countless testimonials against the young woman. He gave instances of sorcery and claimed all accusations were to be trusted. He called a witness to the platform. A dark skinned woman ascended the stairs and stood before the crowd.

“Shae Pressman says she has experienced the paranormal firsthand.”

“A few nights ago, this woman snuck into my house and nearly killed me! She had fire shooting from her hands! Controlling the wind with just a snap of her fingers!” The crowd gaped. “She is a witch!”

After another lengthy testimonial on Shae’s behalf, the old man cleared his throat and stepped forward.

“I believe it’s safe to say the evidence is leaning in favor of Miss Nicole Haught...being a witch!” The man yelled, sending the crowd into a mass of cheers and boos, claps and whistles. “The last thing we need is a witch in this town! The only proper way to handle a witch is to BURN HER!”

Nicole’s eyes searched the crowd for a friendly face and soon fell upon the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Brown hair, green eyes, face nearly cloaked in the shadow of her hood, Nicole’s gaze locked with Waverly’s. The princess stared back and felt drawn to her in that moment. With her eyes, Nicole was pleading for help, and Waverly felt the sudden urge to save her.

The crowd cheered; many villagers shouted profanities at the three people before them, screaming to burn Nicole. The crowd was in an uproar, but Waverly pushed forward. She had to get as close to the platform as possible, only breaking eye contact with Nicole when villagers would not move out of her way.

“Guards, tie her up!” The man from before turned to the crowd. “Someone summon the torch bearers.”

“Tie her up! Tie her up!” The villagers chanted.

Waverly pushed forward.

“Waverly!” Chrissy yelled from behind her. “What are you doing?” She grabbed Waverly by the shoulder and turned her around.

“I'm going to save her. I have to save her.”

“What?” Before Chrissy could get any response from her friend, Waverly turned and pushed her way through the rest of the crowd and up onto the platform.

Before any of the people on the platform had realized Waverly was there, she had drawn her sword and knocked the elderly man over the edge. She turned to face the two guards and saw that they had already tied Nicole up and had their swords pointed in her direction.

“Let her go,” Waverly demanded. “She’s no witch."

“Widow’s orders. Now stand down or die along with  _ her _ .” The first guard ordered.

“I’d rather die along with her than comply with anything  _ the Widows _ ordered,” Waverly charged the first guard, using a disarming move she had taught herself a few years ago. After he dropped his sword, Waverly stabbed the guard's right leg which sent him into the crowd screaming in pain. Waverly turned to the second guard, looked him over, and stifled a laugh.

“What’s so funny,  _ traitor _ ?” The guard asked.

“This,” Waverly used her left hand and pushed him, only slightly. The guard realized he was standing on the edge of the platform too late, and landed on the ground with a loud  _ THUD! _ and a grunt.

Waverly turned to Nicole and used her sword to cut the ropes around her ankles and wrists loose. She extended her hand to the redhead, but Nicole only stared back at her.

“What are you doing? We’ve got to go if you want to live,” Waverly said.

“Who...who are you?” Nicole asked so quietly that Waverly could barely hear her over the screaming crowd.

“Nobody of consequence. Do you really want to die today?” Waverly pointed with her sword to the guards lying on the ground beneath the platform. “They won’t be down there forever, and they’ll surely call for backup soon” Nicole continued to blankly stare at her. “I really think you want to die.”

Nicole snapped out of her daze and shook her head. “I...uh...no. I don’t want to die.”

“Now, that’s what I thought! Come on, we’ve got some running to do.” Waverly grabbed Nicole’s hand and took off running toward the stables.

Once at the stable, they stopped for a moment to catch their breath and Champ approached them. Waverly shot him a death glare before he could even open his mouth and he backed off.

“Waverly! Waves, wait up!” Chrissy yelled while running, clearly out of breath.

“Chrissy? What are you doing?” Waverly turned around to face her friend.

“I’m coming with you,” The blonde panted.

“What? Chris, I don’t know about that.”

“Oh come on! I want some adventure. A girl can only have so much fun making bread every day of her life.”

Waverly looked at Nicole, then at Chrissy, then back to Nicole again. So many things could go wrong, but maybe not. She had been alone for four years, and now suddenly she had a beautiful girl and a best friend both needing her. She sighed and faced Chrissy.

“Fine. Come on.”

Chrissy smiled and together the three ran off toward Waverly’s hideout.

\- - - - -

“So this is where you’ve been living for the past few years?” Chrissy asked in awe. Waverly had never shown anyone where she had been living and felt extremely uncomfortable by the fact that there were now two other people there.

Chrissy made herself at home quickly, but Nicole seemed uncomfortable. For dinner, they split the food Chrissy’s dad had given her earlier and Waverly made a small fire. Chrissy fell asleep fairly early, which left Waverly and Nicole sitting in an awkward silence.

After what seemed like hours of nothing but the sounds of the crackling fire, Waverly decided to break the silence.

“Why did the Widows think you were a witch?”

Nicole stared into the fire. “Because I can...do things they can’t and it scares them.”

“What kind of things?” Waverly asked almost immediately. She felt drawn to Nicole, she felt compelled to know every tiny detail of this girl’s life.

“I don’t really want to talk about it. I don’t...I don’t even know your name,” Nicole deflected, her eyes glued to the fire, her face cast in an orange-yellow glow.

Waverly extended her hand out to Nicole. “My name is Waverly,” she offered a sincere smile.

“Nicole,” Nicole shook her hand. “Why’d you do it?” She asked after a moment of silence.

“Do what?” Waverly glanced at the redhead, who was staring at the fire again.

“Save me from being burned at the stake.”

Waverly shrugged and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “I honestly don’t know. I just felt...compelled to do it,” she looked at Nicole and, for the first time that night, Nicole looked her in the eyes.

“Well...thank you.”

“You know, I  _ did _ save your life,” Waverly said slowly.

“I’m aware. I was there,” a small smirk crossed Nicole’s face and she let out a quiet chuckle.

“So shouldn’t I get, like...a kiss or something for that?” Waverly mentally slapped herself for the words coming out of her mouth.

Nicole covered her mouth, silencing a laugh. “I think only knights in shining armor get that.”

“Well!” Waverly huffed and crossed her arms. “Who made you the expert on heroes?”

“Oh, I’m no expert on heroes,” Nicole shook her head.

“Then why can’t a girl with a black cape and a sword get a kiss? I’m about as close to a knight in shining armor as you’re gonna get!”

Both of them laughed. “You know, you’ve got a pretty valid point there.”

Nicole stood up and sat next to Waverly, so close that Waverly could feel Nicole’s breath on her cheek. She leaned in and, but when she was less than an inch away from Waverly’s face, she stopped.

“Actually...know what? I change my mind,” Nicole got up and stood in front of Waverly, towering over her. “Maybe when the moment is right. Now…” She stared at Waverly. “Now isn’t that moment. Goodnight, Waverly,” she took Waverly’s hand and placed a gentle kiss against her knuckles. She released her hand and took a few steps toward the hideout before turning around. “Thanks again for, you know, saving my life and all. I do owe you one.”

And with that, Nicole disappeared into the hideout, leaving Waverly alone at the campsite, watching the last of the fire’s embers die. One thing was certainly clear to Waverly after that night: she needed to find that perfect moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on twitter: @deputyydipshit


	3. Birthday Gifts and Secret Weapons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You need to find her and convince her to come back and fight for the throne.”
> 
> “Me? Why would she listen to me?” Wynonna crossed her arms in protest. “Besides, I have no idea where she is. How am I supposed to find her?”
> 
> “That’s your problem, not mine,” the young woman shrugged. “I got you out of there,” she pointed back to the castle, “and gave you enough supplies to go find her. The sooner the better, Wynonna. The Bulshar’s reign of terror can’t last much longer.”
> 
> The young woman turned back toward the castle.
> 
> “Wait, I didn’t catch your name!” Wynonna yelled after her.
> 
> “That’s because I didn’t give it!” The young woman stopped, but kept her back to Wynonna. “All that matters at this point is finding Princess Waverly.”

**_Three Days Before Nicole’s Trial_ **

_ “Oh come on, Wyn! Take it!” Waverly held out a necklace with the McCready family crest on it to the raven haired girl across from her. “It’s the perfect birthday present.” _

_ “I’m not a part of the royal family,” Wynonna crossed her arms. “It’d be false advertising. And a really shitty gift.” _

_ “Oh who cares about that! After Robin, you’re the closest thing I have to a family.” _

_ “You and Robin aren’t even  _ mildly  _ related,” Wynonna scoffed. “I take full offense to that. Besides, you’ve got a family. A real family.” _

_ “I’m being serious, Wynonna,” Waverly said. “You’re like the older sister I never had. I don’t care if you’re related to me or not, I will treat you like a sister and you will like it!” _

_ “Is that an order?” Wynonna unfolded her arms and walked toward Waverly. “Did you just _ order _ me to do something, Waves?” _

_ “I’m the princess, after all,” Waverly’s smile stretched across her face. “And you’re not.” _

_ Wynonna snorted at Waverly’s remark. “Of all the things you could have ordered me to do, you order me to let you treat me like a sister? That’s a piece of shit order, and you know it. I know you can do better!” _

_ “Fine,” Waverly huffed. “I order you to take this necklace from me as a birthday gift!” Waverly extended her hand out, dangling the necklace from her fingers. _

_ “You royals are really just a bunch of royal pains in my ass,” Wynonna mumbled and grabbed the necklace from Waverly’s hand, placing it around her neck. “Happy now,  _ your highness _?” _

_ “Are you mocking me,  _ Lady Wynonna _?” Waverly glared at her. _

_ “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Wynonna smiled sweetly and Waverly rolled her eyes.  _

_ “Whatever, Wynonna,” Waverly smiled before standing up and walking past her friend. “Now, come along. We’ve got a lesson to get to.” _

_ “But it’s geography! Who needs to know about that?” Wynonna groaned. Waverly turned around. _

_ “You never know, Wyn. You might get stuck in the woods all by yourself some day, and if you don’t pay attention in this lesson today, you might be lost forever.” Wynonna raised an eyebrow at her friend before laughing. _

_ “Me? Lost in the woods? Waverly, I never leave this place.  _ You’re _ the one who might get lost in the woods someday.” _

_ “That would never happen,” Waverly shook her head as she and Wynonna continued down the hallway. “Why would I even be in the woods by myself, anyway?” _

Wynonna woke with a start from her dream, sitting up straight and breathing hard. That was the day before the rebel raids began - her last memory with her only friend, Princess Waverly. Ever since her father, Ward, had bought himself a royal title on the king’s court, Wynonna and her older sister Willa had become students under the same tutor as the princess. Not long after beginning lessons there, Willa had run off with an unknown lover, just as their mother had years before. After Willa’s departure, Wynonna had grown close to Waverly.

The two girls struck up a bond unlike any other they’d ever had before. They were so different, but they meshed together perfectly, balancing each other out equally. Waverly always joked about Wynonna being like an older sister to her, but Wynonna would never admit she felt the same way. They stuck together even through the darkest times, and being ripped apart without being able to do much about it hurt more than anything.

All of the memories flooded back into Wynonna’s head at once, hitting her hard and bringing tears to her eyes. She missed her best friend, her family, her old life. For four years, she had been locked in a cell with little food and water. Human contact extended as far as the two guards, the Widows, and occasionally Bulshar himself. Upon hearing footsteps approaching Wynonna palmed her eyes dry, refusing to let anyone see her cry.

The cell door opened and two rebel leaders stepped in, causing the atmosphere to shift completely. Wynonna could have sworn the air smelled sweeter then, almost like perfume, but maybe it was just in her head.

“Well, well, Wynonna. Seems we’ve kept the tears to a minimum today,” Beth, the younger of the two sisters, said.

“Why am I still alive?” Wynonna looked up at the two of them. “Why put me through four years of torture instead of just killing me?”

Mercedes, the second sister, laughed. “You’re going to stay in here until the time is right.”

“Yeah?” Wynonna stood up. “And when is that? Mind sharing those secrets?”

Beth walked over to the cell’s metal bars separating herself from Wynonna. “Whenever Princess Waverly is finally dead.”

Wynonna gripped the bars in front of her and clenched her jaw. “You said she was dead four years ago! That she and her guardians were killed in the raid!”

“We might have stretched the truth, just a tad,” Beth smirked. “Any threat to our power will  _ not _ be tolerated.”

Wynonna stuck her head as far between the bars as possible, getting as close to the sisters as she could. “If she’s still alive, that means there’s still hope for the kingdom. You can, and will, be defeated.”

“We will never be defeated! I bet my life on that!” Mercedes said.

“Well, if Princess Waverly is alive…” Wynonna’s smile grew wider as she stepped back. “I guess that makes you a dead woman. Both of you.”

Beth reached through the cell bars and gripped the front of Wynonna’s clothes, pulling her against the metal.

“You must learn to control that tongue of yours, Wynonna,” Beth said through gritted teeth. “Traitors are not dealt with kindly in our kingdom,” she released Wynonna, shoving her back, and turned to leave the room with Mercedes.

Wynonna sat up and leaned against the wall of the cell so that she could watch the door close. Despite the darkness surrounding her and clouding her mind, the thought of Waverly actually being alive made it easier to breathe. For the first time in four years, Wynonna could finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. This could be her chance at getting her life back.

\- - - - -

“Psst! Wake up!”

The loud whispering woke Wynonna from her slumber and she slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes.

“Hey! Over here!” The whispering came again.

Wynonna looked over at the ajar cell door where she saw a young woman in a black cape with a hood, casting a shadow and covering her face. Wynonna figured she couldn’t be more than twenty-one or twenty-two years old, a few years younger than herself. A small part of her brown hair was showing, complementing the tan skin of her arms illuminated by candlelight.

“If you want to get out of here, I’d get moving if I were you. We have a very small window of time here.”

“What?” Wynonna stretched her arms and rubbed her eyes before looking at the young woman.

“I said you need to get moving now if you want to make it out of here alive,” the woman replied.

“Why should I trust you?” Wynonna raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not saying you should, but we don’t have time to argue about that. I’m trying to get you out of here.”

“What’s the catch?”

“Uh...you live?”

Wynonna thought for a second and concluded that things couldn’t get much worse than they already were. She sprang to her feet and followed the mystery woman out of the cell. Slowly, and quietly, the two women made their way through the secret passageways of the castle in order to get out, just as the young woman had promised.

Wynonna kept a good deal of distance between herself and the woman, keeping her eyes on the woman at all times. They descended two staircases and retreated out a small wooden door at the end of a hall.

Once they were a safe distance into the woods behind the castle, the young woman stopped. She reached into her cape and pulled out a small bag, a canteen, and a dagger. She turned and handed them to Wynonna.

“Take these. Inside the bag is enough money to buy yourself food for about a week,” she said.

“Why are you doing this?” Wynonna hesitantly took the items and looked at the woman skeptically.

“I want Bulshar out of here as much as the next person, but we need Princess Waverly for that. You’re the closest thing left that she has to family.”

“What? You think I’m a part of the royal family?” Wynonna laughed, but stopped when she remembered that she was still wearing the necklace Waverly had given her. “Oh...oh, no. I’m not  _ really _ royal.”

“Then why are you wearing the royal family crest around your neck?” The young woman pointed to the necklace around Wynonna’s neck.

“A friend gave it to me for my birthday.”

“So, if you're not of royal blood, did you even know the princess?”

“Of course I did.” Wynonna rolled her eyes. “We had the same tutor. My idiot father insisted on only the best education for me.”

“Well, that’s all that matters, then.”

“What, that I got a good education?” Wynonna quirked an eyebrow.

“No,” the woman shook her head and rolled her eyes. “That you know Princess Waverly.”

“Why is that important?”

“You need to find her and convince her to come back and fight for the throne.”

“Me? Why would she listen to me?” Wynonna crossed her arms in protest. “Besides, I have no idea where she is. How am I supposed to find her?”

“That’s your problem, not mine,” the young woman shrugged. “I got you out of there,” she pointed back to the castle, “and gave you enough supplies to go find her. The sooner the better, Wynonna. The Bulshar’s reign of terror can’t last much longer.”

The young woman turned back toward the castle.

“Wait, I didn’t catch your name!” Wynonna yelled after her.

“That’s because I didn’t give it!” The young woman stopped, but kept her back to Wynonna. “All that matters at this point is finding Princess Waverly.”

Wynonna stood in the middle of the woods, alone, with the items the woman had given her. She had no idea where to even begin looking for Waverly.  _ She could be anywhere in the world by now. She ran off four years ago. _ And then it hit her like a barrel of beer being dumped over her head. She almost jumped for joy. Her last dream was the clue. It was almost as if her brain knew what was coming. She knew exactly where Waverly was: her favorite secret hideout.

\- - - - -

**_The Day After Nicole’s Trial_ **

“Look who finally decided to grace us with her presence today!” Chrissy said when she saw that her friend had finally woken up. The blond was sitting by a newly kindled fire and was peeling one of the oranges she had gotten from from Wavelry’s bag.

“Is Nicole awake?” Waverly asked, ignoring her friend’s comment.

“No, should I wake her?” Waverly shook her head and sat down next to Chrissy. “You look exhausted. You sleep okay?”

“I had a lot of trouble sleeping. I had a lot to think about.”

“You mean you had a lot to  _ fantasize _ about…” Chrissy smirked and nudged her friend with her shoulder.

“What are you talking about?” Waverly reached over and took a piece of orange from Chrissy.

“Oh come on. You totally like Nicole. And don’t even try denying it, you know you’re a terrible liar,” Waverly reached for another piece of orange and Chrissy swatted her hand away.

“Hey!” Waverly frowned.

“Get your own orange,” Chrissy huffed.

Waverly rolled her eyes and stared at the fire. “So what if I find her attractive? She’s a beautiful woman. How am I supposed to  _ not _ like her?”

“She’s a  _ girl _ . Girls are moody and annoying and all they want is to fall in love and get married,” Chrissy turned to Waverly. “It’s not worth it.” Waverly just sat and stared at her friend. “What?”

“Chris...We’re  _ all  _ girls here.” Waverly said.

“RIght, well,” Chrissy cleared her throat and ate another piece of orange, “I still say it isn’t worth it.”

“If you say so,” Waverly shrugged. “But we’re stuck with her, you know. You both are outlaws now.”

“Oh, right, and I suppose that, since you were an outlaw before us, you’re the expert on being an outlaw?”

“Something like that, yeah,” Waverly nodded, keeping her eyes on the fire before her.

Before Chrissy could respond, Nicole sat down on the other side of Waverly.

“Morning, ladies.”

“Morning,” Chrissy and Waverly answered simultaneously.

“So, what’s the plan, Waverly? We can’t stay here for much longer,” Nicole looked at the girl next to her, waiting for Waverly to meet her gaze.

“We can’t leave,” Waverly protested, eyes still on the fire. “I’ve been hiding out here for nearly five years now and I’ve never been caught.”

“This place is made for one person. Either we have to expand, or we have to move on,” Nicole looked away from Waverly and out into the expanse of forest before them. “I’ve always wanted to see the coast, I hear it’s beautiful this time of year.”

“You’ve never been to the coast before, Nicole?” Chrissy asked. “I thought everyone’s been to the coast.”

“Well, I haven’t,” Nicole shook her head. “I’ve never had the means to leave. I only got paid with food back in the village.”

“They never paid you in money?” Waverly asked. “That doesn’t sound right.”

“Well, Waverly, when you’re as poor as I am, and you’ve got a sister to feed you do whatever you can to get food.”

“Wait, you have a sister?” Waverly asked.

“Well, she’s not my actual sister, we were raised in the same communal home, but yes,” Nicole nodded.

“Wait, your sister?” Chrissy stifled a laugh. “You mean-”

“Don’t talk about my sister, Chrissy.”

“It isn’t my fault she left-”

“Shut  _ up _ , Chrissy,” Nicole closed her eyes and spoke firmly.

“And joined the Bulshar’s court-”

“I said  _ shut up _ , Nedley,” Waverly looked down at Nicole’s hands and saw that they were tightly clenched into fists in her lap.

“-and was never heard from again.”

“I said shut up!” Nicole stood up and unclenched her fists, sending Chrissy and Waverly flying back a few feet.

Waverly sat up and stared at Nicole with wide eyes. Nicole said she was capable of things that the Widows weren’t, but Waverly didn’t think that meat she was a...witch?

“Waverly, I...I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to,” Nicole apologized with wide eyes.

“ _ What the fucking hell was that?! _ ” Chrissy yelled from the other side of the hideout, holding her head.

“I’m sorry, I just got so worked up and I-I…”

“Nicole, what was that?” Waverly asked softly, slowly making her way over to the redhead.

“I...I can...move things...without having to really...touch them,” Nicole looked at Waverly, then the ground. “And I can kind of...control fire with my hands.”

“So that was...that was the telekinesis…” Waverly breathed out.

“It only happens when I get really worked up like that, when I don’t have time to calm down,” Nicole rushed out, closing her eyes tightly.

Waverly took a few more slow steps towards Nicole, stopping right in front of her. Chrissy had slowly gotten to her feet and stayed where she was, watching her friend and Nicole.

Waverly hooked her pointer finger under Nicole’s chin, slowly lifting her head up. Nicole opened her eyes and looked Waverly in the eyes, holding back tears in her own.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do it. I just can’t control it sometimes,” Nicole whispered.

“Is there any time that you  _ can  _ control it?” Waverly asked softly, her voice gentle.

“I mean, I guess if I tried really hard,” Nicole shrugged and looked down at Waverly, who was a few inches shorter than her, and stared into her (really pretty) hazel eyes again. “I’m really sorry, Waverly. I understand if you want me to leave.”

“No,” Waverly answered firmly.

“What?” Chrissy protested with her hands on her hips.

“Don’t leave, Nicole,” Waverly placed her hands on Nicole’s shoulders. “You have powers, so what? That can come in handy, assuming you can control it. It could be our...secret weapon.” Waverly smiled.

“You really want me to stay?” Nicole asked, a hint of a smile on her face.

Waverly nodded and brushed the back of her hand against Nicole’s cheek, gathering fallen tears. She brushed some hair out of Nicole’s face, gave her a warm smile, and pulled her into a tight hug. After a few seconds, before Waverly pulled away from the embrace, she looked over Nicole’s shoulder and saw two people walking in their direction. She immediately pushed Nicole away from her, grabbed her sword, and stood in front of her friends. She pointed it in the direction of the two people.

“Who are you?” Waverly called out.

“Princess Waverly? Is that you?” A female voice called back.

Waverly, too stunned to reply, just stood with her sword still extended. No one had called her that since the night she fled from her castle. She let the two approach, slowly lowering her sword as they drew closer. The two walkers looked to be a little older than herself, mid-twenties at most, one male and one female. The male had dark skin and was dressed in armor Waverly hadn’t seen since Bulshar took over - a great sign for the rightful queen. The female was in a traditional hunting outfit with leather pants and boots, and a robe covering the rest of her body, her raven hair hanging loosely by her shoulders.

“Waves?” The woman called again.

Waverly dropped her sword on the ground and stared at the woman when she came into view. “Wynonna?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on twitter! @deputyydipshit


	4. Shirtless Ex-Soldiers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hang on a second!” Chrissy marched up to the group. “You’re telling me Waves here is a queen?” Wynonna nodded, a sarcastic eyebrow raised. “That’s so cool!” Chrissy extended her hand for a high-five, which Waverly reluctantly returned.
> 
> “Who said I wanted to be queen?” Waverly questioned her friend.
> 
> “It’s your duty, Waverly. You were born to be queen.”
> 
> “Right, but what if I don’t want to be queen? I’m much better at being a nobody, at blending in with the crowd.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on twitter! @deputyydipshit

Wynonna had been walking through the woods all night, trudging along through the early hours of the morning. She hadn’t rested in hours and knew she needed to soon, otherwise she might pass out. She had no idea where she was or what she was doing, but she  _ did _ know that she needed to find some sort of food source; there was no telling how much longer she could go without eating.

At some point during the afternoon, Wynonna made it to a small village she wasn’t familiar with. She looked around and tried her best to blend in, acting as if she belonged there, but from the looks of her clothes and current state of appearance, that proved to be a bit harder than anticipated. She realized that traipsing through a foreign village in a torn, fancy dress and old cloak wasn’t exactly her best idea, but she had no other choice

Walking through the village, Wynonna soon noticed most of the villagers were staring at her, staring at her clothes more than anything. She met their gazes with a tight jaw and a threatening eye roll. It took everything out of her to not give them the finger. Walking further into the village, Wynonna remembered the necklace around her neck and how the woman who set her free had noticed it. She couldn’t risk anyone else noticing it around her neck, because she had no doubt she would be turned back to Bulshar in a heartbeat, so she tucked it under her dress.

After walking aimlessly down the never ending streets, Wynonna spotted a vendor selling various fruits. She walked up to the man, inspected the fruits, and grabbed an apple.

“How much?” Wynonna asked the man.

“Six pennies,” came his gruff response.

Wynonna reached into the small, leather pouch tied at her waist and handed the man six pennies, as requested. Wynonna retracted her hand and turned to walk away, but stopped when a hand gripped her wrist tightly.

“Where did you get these, girl?” He whispered harshly.

“What the hell, dude?” Wynonna tried to pull her wrist free.

“They’re engraved with the royal family crest. I can’t accept these.”

“Well, what else am I supposed to do?” Wynonna snapped. “I’ve got no other money.”

“How did you get these?” The man asked again.

“They’re not stolen, if that’s what you’re asking or implying,” Wynonna stuttered.

“Lonnie! Oh good! You found her!” A young man called out as he made his way over to the vendor’s table. He placed a hand on Wynonna’s lower back and winked at her. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

“You know her?” Lonnie asked the young man.

“She’s my sister,” Lonnie gave the dark-skinned man a skeptical look. “Adoptive sister,” he added quickly. “She doesn’t get out much. Not really the quickest draw in the shooting range, if you get what I mean,” the man laughed and nudged Lonnie.

“Right, well,” Lonnie forced a laugh and a smile at Wynonna before turning back to the man. “Why does she have royal coins? I can’t take these. The Lady Lucado will have my head on a silver platter!”

“I’m sure she just found them lying around the house. You know my father loves collecting antiques. Someday, someone will pay good money for these ancient items!” The man collected the coins from Lonnie and handed them back to Wynonna.

“Get her out of here, Xavier,” Lonnie released Wynonna’s wrist. “She can’t be around here. It’s bad for business.”

“Don’t worry about us, Lonnie,” Xavier shoved a hand into his pocket and pulled out some more coins. “Here’s enough for two apples. One for me,” he turned to Wynonna, “and one for her.”

Lonnie took the money and Xavier pulled Wynonna down the street. He led them down a narrow alleyway, away from the bustling streets and stopped, facing Wynonna.

“Where did you get those royal coins?” He asked in a hushed tone.

“Why did you save me back there?” Wynonna deflected. “I didn’t need to be saved.”

“Answer my question, and then I’ll answer yours.”

“Why should I trust you,  _ Xavier _ ?”

“Why do you have the royal family crest hanging around your neck?” Wynonna froze. She glanced down to see that the necklace’s medal was showing yet again.

“Fuck…” Wynonna muttered. “Well...that’s none of your business,” she hurried to take the necklace off and shove it into her bag.

“You don’t have to hide that from me,” Xavier gently placed a hand on Wynonna’s arm, stopping her. “I’m on your side.”

“What do you mean?” Wynonna raised an eyebrow at him.

Instead of responding, Xavier pulled his shirt over his head and ran his fingers gently over his right peck. Wynonna squinted in the shady alleyway and saw a tattoo of the royal family crest standing out against his dark skin in black ink. Wynonna’s eyes went wide and she cursed quietly when she put the pieces together: all royal soldiers bore that tattoo.

“You’re a royal soldier!” Wynonna took a step closer to Xavier. “How? How is that possible? You’re all supposed to be...to be dead!”

“Who told you that?” Xavier looked at her with a confused expression.

“Well, I just assumed. Since the Widows nearly obliterated anyone involved with the royals,” Wynonna leaned back against the wall, studying Xavier’s face. She wasn’t sure if she could trust him yet, but she needed to know how much he knew. Maybe he could help her find Waverly.

“You were held captive in the castle, weren’t you?”

“How could you possibly know that?” Wynonna scoffed.

“There were rumors that not all of the royals were killed.”

“I’m not the only one,” Wynonna looked around before lowering her voice. “Princess Waverly is still alive.”

“Huh,” Xavier straightened his back. “So the rumors  _ are _ true,” he took a step closer to Wynonna, still holding the white, linen shirt in his hand. “The real question is, though, why were you kept alive this long? The king didn’t have multiple children, just Waverly.”

“I’m not of royal blood.” Wynonna sighed.

“Then why do you wear the royal family crest around your neck?” Xavier raised an eyebrow.

“It was a gift from Princess Waverly herself,” Wynonna stated proudly, though she found herself to be having a hard time focusing on the task at hand. She couldn’t help but let her eyes linger a bit too long on Xavier’s abs.

“That makes sense.”

“W-what makes sense?” Wynonna cursed herself for her stuttering.

“The Widows must have kept you alive so that they could use you as leverage to lure Princess Waverly back into the open. If she found out her sister was being held captive, then she would have to come back and rescue her.”

“We’re not sisters. We were just...best friends. My parents and her parents are definitely not the same people, trust me.”

“Perhaps you two were betrothed then, and-”

“Whoa there, pal. Like I said, Waves and I... _ best friends. _ Not sisters. Not  _ lovers, _ ” Wynonna shuttered at the thought.

Xavier hummed and leaned back against the brick wall, matching Wynonna’s position. From the few minutes they’d interracted, Xavier knew he already had Wynonna figured out. So she wasn’t part of the royal family, but she had ties to it. And she wasn’t to be married which meant...The mere thought made him want to jump for joy for some uncharacteristically odd reason. There was no denying that Wynonna was a beautiful young woman, so it only made sense he felt attracted to her. Though, there was something else about her that drew Xavier in. He felt the sudden urge to protect her from Lonnie just minutes before without knowing a single thing about her.

“Look, I really need to find Waverly. She needs to reclaim the throne before it’s too late. Since you’re a soldier of the royal army, can you help me?” Wynonna looked up at Xavier.

“You want  _ me _ to help  _ you _ find Princess Waverly?” Xavier couldn’t help but smile. “Do you know where she is?”

“I might have a pretty good idea,” Wynonna grinned. “So, Xavier, are you man enough to some with me or not?”

“I’d love to...I mean, of course I will. But I...what is your name?”

“Lady Wynonna Earp,” Wynonna cringed. “But just call me Wynonna. I don’t like all of those stupid formalities.”

“Right, well, Wynonna, I will join you on this quest under one condition.”

“Name your price,” Wynonna raised an eyebrow.

“Call me Dolls.”

\- - - - -

Wynonna and Dolls had been walking for three long days with very few stops in between. They found themselves sticking to the shadows out of fear, though they both played it off that it was due to the heat of the long summer days. Before they left the village and began their trek, Wynonna had bought a new outfit, one suitable for combat and long days of walking. She ditched her gown for a pair of leather pants and a fitting black cote-hardie adorned down the front with gold buttons. Her torso was also wrapped in a black corset and her feet with tall, laced up boots. Dolls had insisted she purchase a new cloak to conceal herself from any of the Widows’ guards lurking about, and she knew better than to argue with a soldier.

Dolls had traded the royal coins Wynonna had for a good sword from the local blacksmith, the Pearlys, to accompany his armor. He would never admit it, but Dolls felt more like himself when he was wearing the royal armor; he felt like the old days were returning. As they walked, they talked and exchanged stories, learning more about each other. Three days alone in the woods with a stranger can only lead to an unexpected bond to form. Confined to each other's company, Wynonna and Dolls opened up about their personal lives.

Wynonna listened as Dolls told her the story of how he joined the royal guard. He was orphaned as a child and found on the streets by a former soldier. He was raised in the barracks and trained to be a man of war from the age of twelve. The head of the army, General Moody, had become almost like his adopted father; he had taken Dolls in as his own and protected him, treating him like the son he never had. Wynonna was amazed by the amount of adversity the man walking next to her had been through, and even more so by how little he let it show.

Dolls learned that Wynonna never knew her mother, and that her father was just the town drunk and was more of a monster than anything. She told him of Willa, her older sister who ran off and eloped with her lover and how she knew she had a younger sister, but that she didn’t know anything about her. After a couple of probing questions from Dolls, Wynonna felt herself closing off again. She became hard and let her guards back up. Her family was a sore subject considering she was raised by a different set of parents than her supposed baby sister, who was raised by royalty. Michelle had abanded her, Willa, and Ward to fuck off to another country, and that wound had never healed.

It was a few hours past noon when Wynonna saw the hideout, and she smiled. They had reached their destination. Wynonna grabbed Dolls’ arm and tugged at it, pointing at the forested fort.

Wynonna saw three girls: a redhead, a blonde, and a brunette. Upon seeing Dolls and herself, the brunette drew her sword.

“Who are you?” Wynonna knew that voice too well, and she almost started crying upon hearing it.

“Waves? Is that you?” Wynonna yelled back. Dolls stood beside her, his sword drawn as well.

A few, brutal moments of silence passed before Wynonna called out again.

“Waverly, do you remember me?” Wynonna asked and began slowly approaching the shorter girl. “I’m...I’m Wynonna Earp. We used to take lessons together before...well, you know…”

Waverly lowered her sword and stared at her. “Wynonna?”

The two girls smiled and embraced when Wynonna approached Waverly.

“I thought you were dead, baby girl,” Wynonna whispered into Waverly’s ear. Waverly released Wynonna and held her at arm’s length, looking her over.

“Where have you been for the past four years? Did you get out of your cottage before the raid or during it? Did the Widows see you? How did you find me?” Waverly rushed out.

“Whoa there, Princess. Let’s slow down and talk,” Wynonna suggested.

“Yeah, okay,” Waverly smiled and hugged Wynonna again. “It’s really nice to see you, Wyn.”

“I know it is, I’m a fucking pleasure to be around,” Wynonna smiled and winked at Waverly. Behind them, Dolls cleared his throat and Wynonna turned around, walking toward him.

“Waves, this is Xavier Dolls. He was a soldier in the Royal Army, and he swears he’s here to help us.”

Waverly nodded and leaned her sword against the log she had been sitting on previously.

“Behind me are Chrissy and Nicole,” Waverly stepped forward and extended her hand out toward Dolls, who firmly shook it. “What is here to help us with?” She asked Wynonna.

“The obvious thing,” Wynonna placed her hands on her hips. “Restoring you back to the throne. You’re the rightful queen.”

“Hang on a second!” Chrissy marched up to the group. “You’re telling me Waves here is a  _ queen _ ?” Wynonna nodded, a sarcastic eyebrow raised. “That’s so cool!” Chrissy extended her hand for a high-five, which Waverly reluctantly returned.

“Who said I wanted to be queen?” Waverly questioned her friend.

“It’s your duty, Waverly. You were born to be queen.”

“Right, but what if I don’t want to be queen? I’m much better at being a nobody, at blending in with the crowd.”

“Where’s the Waverly I knew back at the castle? Huh? Where’s the Waverly who claimed she was going to be the best queen this kingdom had ever seen? Where’s the Waverly who had more courage and strength than anyone I’ve ever known?

“The Waverly I was friends with wouldn’t let some face-stealing bitches like the Widows come in, kill her family, and run the kingdom into the ground!” Wynonna gripped Waverly’s shoulders. “You have to fight to save all that’s good in this kingdom, baby girl. Bulshar’s reign of terror needs to end.”

“Did he hurt you in any way, Nonna?” Waverly asked softly, a tone Wynonna knew was reserved for only when she was angry.

“Yes,” Wynonna nodded, her grip loosening on Waverly’s shoulders.

“Good to know,” Waverly nodded and abruptly spun on her heel. “That’s that, then. I’m going to find those sister wives and their demon husband and chop their stolen faces off of their stolen heads!” She yelled, marching toward her tent, to her sword.

“Waves, calm down! Now’s not the time for you, Miss Level Headed and Prissy, to get irrational,” Wynonna tried to reason.

Nicole walked over to Waverly, placed a hand gently on her lower back, and whispered something in her ear. Wynonna watched with a skeptical eye, assuming this redhead was saying something to calm Waverly down. A few words were exchanged between the two and suddenly Nicole was pulling Waverly back to the group.

“Let’s not lose our heads over this, Princess Waverly,” Dolls said. “We need to come up with a plan of action and an efficient way to carry it out. And we can’t do this without allies.”

Waverly ran a hand through her hair and straightened out her cloak. She folded her arms across her chest and met Dolls’ stare with her own.

“What do you have in mind then, soldier?”

“I say we need to try and befriend other monarchies, travel to other kingdoms nearby and try to reason with them. Word on the street is that they’re all on the brink of war with Bulshar and the Widows.”

“Okay,” Waverly took a deep breath and looked each person around her in the eyes. “We leave in the morning,” she nodded shortly before turning and going back to her tent without another word.

\- - - - -

Wynonna awoke hours later to the flickering glow of a fire outside of her tent. She pushed up on her elbows and looked down at Dolls who was sleeping next to her, hand clutching the hilt of his sword at his side. The soldier had constructed their makeshift tent even after numerous protests from Wynonna. Though she’d never admit it to him, Wynonna was thankful for the shelter. Turning her attention back to the opening of the tent, Wynonna crawled out into the open on her knees. She saw Waverly sitting on a log, close to a small fire. Quietly standing, Wynonna made her way over to her friend and stepped over the log.

“Can I sit here?” She asked Waverly.

“Sure,” Waverly nodded and motioned to the empty space next to her on the log.

“So this is the glorious hideout you never shut up about, huh?” Wynonna nudged Waverly with her shoulder.

Waverly chuckled and shook her head. “How did you even remember?”

“Beats me, kid,” Wynonna shrugged. “The night before I got out, before someone let me go, I had a dream. That conversation we had all those years ago...it was in my dream,” she grabbed a nearby stick and drew lines into the dirt. “Talk about a fucking coincidence.”

“How did you find this place?”

“You told me how to get here. Exactly. Step for step.”

“Right,” Waverly sighed and nodded. She paused for a moment. “What exactly happened after the raid?”

“I was taken...some of Bulshar’s creepy looking henchmen brought me to a cell in the dungeon. I was given food and water, but not an ounce of whiskey. Can you believe that?” Wynonna scoffed and smiled upon hearing Waverly let a small laugh slip out. Her face grew serious again as she continued.

“They did the bare minimum to keep me alive. And every once in a while, the two-faced bitches would come around. It was the same shit every day for four years. Until a few nights ago...when someone let me out and told me to come find you.”

“Do you know who this person was?” Waverly turned to look at Wynonna.

Wynonna dropped the stick and shook her head. “No, she didn’t tell me her name. But she was...really pretty. Gorgeous brown eyes and tan skin. And her  _ voice _ was so...I don’t even know. She had an accent. Subtle, but it was there. Hispanic, I think? Latino?”

“Sounds like someone’s got a little crush,” Waverly giggled.

“Fuck off,” Wynonna rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless.

“Wynonna, I’m  _ so _ sorry this happened to you. This is all my fault,” Waverly spoke up after a moment.

“Baby girl, I should be thanking you. For some reason, Bulshar thought I’d be useful to him, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have been spared. If you and I weren’t so close, they would have killed me for sure.”

“So your dad is-”

“-dead,” Wynonna confirmed.

“Aunt Gus and Uncle Curtis too,” Waverly whispered. The two of them sat in silence, taking in the severity of their situation.

“Damn,” Wynonna muttered.

“How did you meet a royal soldier?” Waverly asked suddenly.

“Ran into him in a nearby village. He saved my ass.”

“How do you know we can trust him?”

“He’s a royal soldier, Waves. We can trust him.”

Waverley studied her friend’s face and nodded. “I trust you.”

“What about Nicole and Chrissy?”

“Chrissy’s family owns a bakery and she would always get me free food when I’d pass by. Nicole is...well,” Waverly ran a hand through her hair. “I kind of...saved her...from being burned at the stake.”

“Are you insane?” Wynonna’s eyes went wide. “Bulshar already has a death warrant out for you. Doing something as stupuid as that...you’ve probably exposed yourself!”

“I couldn’t just let her die, Wynonna. It wouldn’t have been right. I had to.”

Wynonna’s face slowly relaxed, falling into a slight smirk and raised eyebrow.

“What?” Waverly shifted uncomfortably.

“Someone’s got the hots for the hot redhead,” Wynonna waggled her eyebrows.

Waverly gasped and turned her attention to the smoldering fire before them. “No I most certainly do not!” Wynonna continued to stare at her, and Waverly groaned quietly. “Okay so maybe I do.”

“Have you made a move yet?” Wynonna smirked.

“I tried, yeah,” Waverly rubbed her face. “She said the moment had to be right. Whatever that means.”

Wynonna snorted.

“Why are you laughing? Is me being rejected funny to you?” Waverly huffed and crossed her arms.

“It’s actually hilarious!” Wynonna laughed harder. “I guess I never thought I’d see the day when you’d be into girls.”

“Hold on now, I’ve liked girls before,” Waverly defended.

“Oh yeah? Name  _ one _ .”

“Remember that time we went out with my Aunt and you bet me three gold coins to get a kiss from that psychic giving out free readings?”

“Yeah, and when you went for it, she slapped you across the face,” Wynonna suppressed her laughter.

“Yeah well...I couldn’t stop thinking about how pretty she was for the rest of the month.”

“Oh now that’s just pathetic, Waverlyl,” Wynonna clamped a hand down on Waverly’s shoulder and Waverly, being the mature twenty year old princess she was, shoved Wynonna so hard until she fell off of the log.

The two fell into a moment of laughter, tears streaming down their cheeks. Wynonna stood up and dusted herself off before sitting back down next to Waverly.

“You need to do it, Waverly,” she said after composing herself.

“Do what?”

“Take back the throne from Bulshar and his gross ass wives.”

“I don’t know,” Waverly shook her head. “I’m not cut out for being queen.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it,” Wynonna mumbled. Waverly sighed and Wynonna turned to face her friend. She placed a hand under Waverly’s chin and pointed her face toward her’s.

“That’s the exact reason why I  _ know _ you’re going to be a badass queen,” Wynonna stood up. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to sleep. I hear we’ve got a lot of traveling to do.”

“Goodnight, Nonna. It feels good to have you back. It got kind of lonely out here all alone.”

“Well lucky for you, you’re stuck with me from here on out. And now you’ve got a sexy redhead to keep you company, too,” Wynonna winked and disappeared back into her shared tent with Dolls before Waverly could make a comment.


	5. When Oranges Start Flying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I know it isn’t the best idea, but we need to keep going! Someone is going to have to carry her!”
> 
> “Carrying her will only slow us down, making it easier for whoever did this,” Dolls pointed to Wynonna, “get to all of us. We’d be a moving target.”
> 
> “Great, fantastic!” Waverly threw her hands in the air. “So what do we do?”
> 
> “We’ll need to stay the night here. Someone is going to have to keep watch. It’s our best defense against whoever is apparently out there waiting for us.”
> 
> “Then we leave in the morning, whether she wakes up or not,” Waverly said, leaving no room for question.
> 
> “I have a feeling she’ll wake before sunrise, but yes that’s the plan,” Dolls nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at that...a day early! You're welcome ;)
> 
> Don't forget to vote for Kat, y'all!
> 
> New characters coming soon...possibly the next chapter *hint**hint*

“So let me get this straight. You guys knew each other before the kingdom was taken over?” Chrissy asked. 

The group was currently walking down a path in the middle of the woods and Chrissy was walking between Waverly and Wynonna, Dolls and Nicole walking ahead of them leading the way.

“Right, Chris,” Waverly nodded, confirming for the third time now. For the past hour or so, Chrissy had been asking her every question she could think of about Waverly being the future queen.

Chrissy turned to Wynonna. “And your father bought a royal title just so you could take classes in the castle with Waverly?”

“For the tenth time, Nedley,  _ yes _ . I’m fake royalty, if you will,” Wynonna rolled her eyes. Chrissy opened her mouth to ask another question but Waverly cut her off.

“Hey Dolls! How much longer until we can rest for a bit?”

“I guess now could be a good time. We have a lot of empty land in front of and behind us,” Dolls replied. 

They walked a bit more before finding an opening just off the path they’d been on where the five of them could sit and rest their feet. They gathered some logs and cleared the area before sitting down and catching their breath. After sitting down, the five grew quiet, soaking in the serenity and natural beauty of the forest around them. Chrissy, always the hungry one, reached into her satchel and pulled out a few oranges and started peeling hers.

“Do you know how much longer we have until we’ll reach the port?” Waverly asked Dolls.

“If we keep at the same pace, I’d say we reach them around tomorrow afternoon.”

“That’s good, though, right?” Chrissy asked, mouth full of fruit.

“Yes, Chrissy. It’s good. The faster we get help, the faster Waverly can take back her throne,” Nicole replied, looking directly at Waverly, not breaking her stare for a second.

Waverly was thankful she was sitting down, because she felt her knees go weak.

“Well, I wouldn’t necessarily call it  _ my _ throne,” Waverly shrugged.

“Waverly, baby girl, best friend, please kindly shut the fuck up. We’re not having this whole ‘I’m not good enough to be queen’ shit. You’re going to defeat Bulshar, take your place at the throne, and be the best damn queen this kingdom has ever seen! And we’ll all be here supporting you the entire time,” Wynonna plucked an orange from Chrissy and chucked it at Waverly, bouncing it off of her shoulder and flying into the woods.

“Who knew oranges could fly?” Chrissy asked and the five of them burst into laughter.

“You’re so mean, Wynonna,” Waverly pretended to be hurt and pointed in the orange’s direction. “Look what you did! Go get it!” Wynonna rolled her eyes and headed in that direction, muttering something about how annoying Waverly could be.

\- - - - -

“Where the hell are you, stupid orange?” Wynonna could have sworn it rolled off in that direction, but she couldn’t find it.

She searched around for a few minutes with no luck. Groaning, Wynonna placed her hands on her hips and sighed. Why was it so important to find this orange? It’s not like they didn’t have any others; it was just a stupid piece of froot. Deciding to give up, Wynonna turned to head back to camp, but the sound of a stick breaking and leaves crunching behind her made her freeze in her tracks.

Wynonna looked down beneath her boots and saw it wasn’t her making the noise, which could only mean she wasn’t alone. She took a few steps back toward the group and heard footsteps coming up behind her, at a quicker pace this time. She only had half a second to turn around before she tried to scream and everything went black.

\- - - - -

“Where is Wynonna? She left more than five minutes ago. That orange couldn’t have gone that far,” Waverly looked around, now worried. The last thing she wanted, the last thing they needed, was for her best friend to get abducted by Bulshar again.

“I’ll go find her,” Dolls stood, grabbed his sword, and headed in the direction Wynonna had gone.

Waverly, Nicole, and Chrissy sat in silence, not looking at each other, and waiting for Dolls and Wynonna to return. Several minutes passed with no words spoken, and Nicole began to feel uneasy. She shifted uncomfortably next to Waverly who glanced over at her and took Nicole’s hand in hers for a moment. Nicole froze, feeling her face go red, and opened her mouth to say something but Dolls’ voice cut through the silence like a sharp blade.

_ “EARP!” _ The knight yelled. Collectively, the three girls rose to their feet and took off in the direction of Dolls’ voice.

Waverly skidded to a stop as her eyes landed on Wynonna. The sight absolutely horrified her.

Wynonna was lying on the ground, unconscious. There was a long gash that stretched from her right temple down to her chin. Dolls was leaning over her, checking her pulse to ensure she was still breathing. Nicole knelt down on the other side of Wynonna, placing her hand on her forehead, and examined the cut.

“What happened?” Chrissy asked nonchalantly.

“It looks like someone jumped her,” Dolls glanced up at Waverly. The two of them knew it was time to keep moving, which would pose as a challenge with an unconscious Wynonna.

“We need to get her back to camp,” Waverly said, cutting off any further conversation about potential spies surrounding them.

The group agreed and Dolls and Nicole lifted Wynonna to her feet, managing to slowly move her back to their area. When they finally got to the camp, Dolls and Nicole leid Wynonna’s limp form back onto the ground. Nicole knelt down and ripped off a piece of her sleeve. She wet it with water from Chrissy’s caneen and placed it over the cut to clean it. Chrissy helped Nicole, so Waverly grabbed Dolls and pulled him aside so they could speak privately.

“Okay soldier. What do we do? We need to move on! Someone has clearly found us!” Waverly whisper-yelled.

“We can’t continue on, Wynonna is unconscious.”

“I know it isn’t the best idea, but we need to keep going! Someone is going to have to carry her!”

“Carrying her will only slow us down, making it easier for whoever did this,” Dolls pointed to Wynonna, “get to all of us. We’d be a moving target.”

“Great, fantastic!” Waverly threw her hands in the air. “So what  _ do _ we do?”

“We’ll need to stay the night here. Someone is going to have to keep watch. It’s our best defense against whoever is apparently out there waiting for us.”

“Then we leave in the morning, whether she wakes up or not,” Waverly said, leaving no room for question.

“I have a feeling she’ll wake before sunrise, but yes that’s the plan,” Dolls nodded.

\- - - - -

Waverly insisted on taking the first watch, and she was ready to argue with Dolls about it, but he surprised her by not putting up an argument. He surprised her even more as he was currently sleeping next to Wynonna, holding her hand.  _ If she knew he was holding her hand, she’d kick his ass in a heartbeat _ , Waverly chucked to herself at the thought. Wynonna was about as stubborn and strong willed as it got; she never backed down from a fight and ran her life on the fuel of saying “I don’t need no man to make me happy, just whiskey will do.”

Waverly laughed quietly to herself and let her stare linger on her unconscious friend. She was more worried than anyone else in their group, and rightfully so. Wynonna was like the older sister she never had despite their major differences. She would go to her grave defending Wynonna.

Some time passed and Waverly was hit with a massive wave of fatigue...this was going to be a lot harder than she thought. The peaceful silence combined with the warmth of the fire and serenity of darkness around her was really making it hard to stay awake. Just as she was about to fall asleep, Waverly saw Nicole sit up in her peripheral vision. The redhead looked around their small camp with panicked eyes, checking her surroundings, but when her eyes found Waverly’s, she smiled relaxed. Waverly tossed her a small smile in return and that was enough to get Nicole to stand and walk over to sit next to her.

“How’s the first watch going?”

“Pretty boring honestly,” Waverly shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“Not at all,” Nicole shook her head and kicked at the dirt beneath their feet. A few moments of silence passed between them before she spoke up again. “So you’re the future queen, yeah? That’s...cool.”

Waverly was beginning to gather that Nicole wasn’t too impressed with her true identity.

“I can’t really deny it anymore, so yeah I guess so. Can I be honest with you for a second, though?” Nicole nodded. “It’s not that I don’t want to take down Bulshar and defeat the Widows, because I really do, but I just really don’t...want to be the queen.”

“How come?” Nicole tilted her head to the side like a puppy and Waverly nearly melted.

“I’m not the kind of person people would want to run this kingdom. They want people like my uncle or my grandfather - brave, courageous, trustworthy...loyal.”

“And why don’t you feel like you have those things?”

“I’m just not my uncle or my grandfather, I guess,” Waverly shrugged and sighed.

“You’re wrong, Waverly,” Nicole looked her in the eyes, and Waverly’s heart skipped a beat. “You were courageous when you saved me. You’re most definitely trustworthy, there’s no question about it, and the fact that you’re going to take back your family’s throne makes you super loyal.”

“You think so?” Waverly whispered.

“I think...you’ll be all of those things when oranges start flying.”

“Wow,” Waverly mocked offense and scoffed.

Nicole smiled and shook her head, placing her hand on top of Waverly’s. “I  _ know _ so, Waverly.”

Waverly smiled at Nicole and squeezed her hand. They grew quiet and stared at each other for several seconds before Nicole began leaning in a little. Waverly felt her heart beating out of her chest, worrying Nicole could hear it. Maybe this moment was the right one, maybe this was the moment Nicole was talking about. Waverly fought back a grin as their proximity grew closer and closer.

The redhead placed a finger to Waverly’s lips.

“Not yet,” Nicole whispered and gave Waverly a brief smile. “Now let Dolls keep watch, and you get some sleep.”

Waverly would usually put up a fight when someone tried telling her what to do, but Nicole was different. Everything about her was different, but in  _ such  _ a good way. She felt the connection they shared grow stronger each moment that passed. Hopefully that perfect moment was coming soon, because Waverly desperately needed it to happen.

\- - - - -

Dolls sat with his back against a tree, holding Wynonna’s hand. He had held her hand since they found her, and he would keep holding it until she woke up. Nicole had cleaned the cut fairly well for what little supplies they had, and Chrissy had left her canteen next to Wynonna in case she woke up and needed water.

He had to admit, the past few days had been better than the past month he’d experienced, but seeing Wynonna knocked out stirred up feelings he didn’t know he had. Feelings he had suppressed in the past to keep himself safe.When he found her body, he wanted to find out who had done this to her and hurt them - badly.

With his thumb, Dolls stroked the top of Wynonna’s hand, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest with every breath.  _ Damn, she’s beautiful _ , he thought. Dolls glanced around to check on the others, observing the area and making sure everything was fine. His attention was seized when he felt a light squeeze on his hand.

“Dolls?” Wynonna’s hoarse voice croaked out softly. Dolls looked back to see Wynonna opening her eyes.

He lightly brushed his knuckles against her forehead, brushing some hair out of her face. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I drank the world dry of whiskey and ran into a brick wall,” Wynonna groaned.

“That bad, huh?”

Wynonna nodded. “How long was I out for?”

“Only a few hours,” Dolls looked down at her hand, which he was still holding. “I was really worried about you,” he added in a whisper.

“Head wounds always look a lot worse than they really are,” Wynonna winced as she moved into a sitting position.

“And how exactly would you know that? Does this happen to you often?” Dolls raised an eyebrow.

“Are you underestimating my intelligence, Xavier? Because I may look stupid, but I know my shit.”

“Whoa there, no no. You’re smart, you’re not stupid. Why would I ever call you stupid?” Dolls stopped himself, realizing how much of a fool he sounded.

Wynonna let out a quiet chuckle and patted his back with her free hand. She looked down and realized her other hand was clasped with Dolls’.

“Sorry about that,” Dolls said sheepishly and let go of her hand.

“Don’t be,” Wynonna grinned and took his hand back. “I never said I didn’t like it.”

\- - - - -

From the shadows of the throne room, Rosita saw it all.

A messenger decked out in garb adorned with the Clootie crest burst through the giant castle doors. He led a soldier into the main throne room, where Bulshar was sitting at the throne. The room smelled of what people called the “Widow’s Scent,” Shaladelle perfume and essential oils. To Bulshar’s right stood a man dressed all in black, a man the messenger recognized to be the leader of the army - General Robert Svane, more commonly referred to as Bobo Del Rey. To Bulshar’s left were his wives, the twisted spider sisters, and Constance, who ruled over a handful of small villages throughout the kingdom. All three were competing for Bulshar’s attention, but the messenger immediately stole it.

“My Lord, this soldier claims to have important news that only you can hear,” the messenger, a man named Malcum, said after bowing before his ruler.

“Bring him here, then leave my presence,” Bulshar waved a dismissive hand.

Malcum did as he was commanded, turning and leaving the room quickly. The soldier approached the throne.

“Your Majesty, I have received news that some of my men have found the Lady Wynonna. We can only assume the princess is not far away.”

“What did this soldier do upon finding her?”

“He wounded her, my Lord, but she is not dead.”

“She can still be of use to us, then. Do you know where they are headed?”

“We believe they’re on route to the coastal port.”

“Send out a team of your best and fastest men to intercept them. Slow them down and make sure they do not get onto a boat.”

The soldier nodded and quickly left the room.

Bulshar and his court conspired silently before rising from their seats to leave the room. Once she was sure the room was empty, Rosita made her way behind the throne and moved one of the stones on the wall, revealing a secret staircase.

She moved into the tunnel and closed the hidden door, turning then and moving quickly and quietly down the stone steps. The news she had just heard needed to be reported immediately, but she couldn’t risk giving herself away. The robe she wore, made by her girlfriend (well...ex girlfriend now?) two years ago concealed her body perfectly but posed as an obstacle when it came to moving quickly. She nearly tripped down the stairs twice, but caught herself.

Rosita eventually reached the small wooden door sitting at the bottom of the staircase and knocked two times, then four times, then once more.

The door opened and Rosita quickly stepped inside. The room was small, the only things occupying it being a makeshift bed and small table with two chairs. At the table currently sat an older woman who looked up at Rosita and smiled at her.

“Rosita, dear, what brings you down here?”

“Bulshar’s soldiers have found Lady Wynonna and they believe she’s with Princess Waverly,” Rosita replied after catching her breath. She sat down at the table and placed her satchel on the table. “I’ve also brought you some more food.”

“Thank you, sweetheart,” the woman opened the pouch and started eating some of its contents - bread, fruit, a small jug of wine. “I was wondering what was taking Bulshar so long to find them.”

“Wait, you  _ want _ Bulshar to find them?”

“What, do you think I’m crazy? Of course not! These are my children we’re talking about! Of course I want them safe, but I know Bulshar and his wives too well. He’s cunning and swift, and he has spies in every inch of this kingdom,” the woman looked up at Rosita and winked. “And luckily, I have one where it matters most - in Bulshar’s court.”

“He’s sent out soldiers to deter them from reaching the coastal port. Why would they even think about going there?”

“To get to the island kingdoms,” the woman smiled. “The island kingdoms were the most loyal to my family and I. They would help them overthrow Bulshar for the right price.”

“And why exactly haven’t you traveled to these island kingdoms? You spend all of your time down here!”

“Things are just beginning to slowly fall into place, Rosita. We must be patient and wait for the right time. It isn’t my place to take back the throne. The arrangement was that I would hold the throne until my niece was old enough to take over. The time has come for Waverly to hold up her end of the promise,” the woman reached across the table and covered Rosita’s hand with her own. “Now, you mist go, dear, before Bulshar realizes his third in command is missing.”

Rosita stood and faced the door.

“And thank you for the food, Rosita.”

“You are more than welcome, your highness,” Rosita bowed and ascended the staircase, back to the throne room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on twitter! @deputyydipshit


	6. Three Amigos...or Something Like That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I wasn’t accusing her of being shallow, if that’s what you think.”
> 
> “Of course you weren’t, dipshit, you’re already in love with her,” Wynonna replied, looking up at Nicole. “I’d say you have a pretty good chance with her. Better than you think you do.”
> 
> “You really think that?” Nicole asked almost in a whisper.
> 
> “Of course, ladybird,” Wynonna reached across the small table and clamped a hand down on Nicole’s arm. “But if you hurt her, so help me Haught, I will kill you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like you might be getting two chapters this week! I decided to post this one early since it's kind of a short one, but an entertaining one regardless!
> 
> We all love a good Wynaught scene after all...
> 
> Enjoy!

By the time they had finally reached the coastal port, it was long past Dolls’ estimated time of arrival from the day prior. Wynonna’s ability to walk on her own with very few stops in between had been severely overstated and caused them to make frequent stops throughout the day. They had traveled most of the way without any issues, but at some point they had to deter from the trail in order to hide from guards. Due to their nerves being on high alert, they ended up lost more times than Dolls would ever admit.

They eventually made it to the port and Chrissy managed to strike a deal with the innkeeper not far from where they needed to be in the morning. She won them a single room for the night. Currently Chrissy, Waverly, and Dolls were resting in the room, so Wynonna and Nicole decided to take a trip to a nearby tavern to have a chance to catch up since they’d been silent for most of the day. Dolls and waverly protested, but Wynonna had insisted she felt fine. It wasn’t much of a lie, but she  _ was _ exhausted, though she would never admit it. She just wanted a damn drink.

They entered the establishment and were immediately thrown into a crowd that was singing and dancing along to a drunken tune the band played. Tables were pushed up against walls and people were clapping, cheering on those bold enough to stand in the middle of the open space and dance their drunken asses off. The two girls approached the bar, making sure to stay out of the way of other patrons, and took a seat at a small table next to the counter. No longer than a minute later they were greeted by a man who introduced himself as Shorty.

“Welcome to my tavern, ladies. What can I get you to drink?” Shorty smiled.

Both Wynonna and Nicole ordered Shorty’s house ale, a delicious mix of foreign spices and hops, creating a drink equal amounts bitter and sweet to satisfy even the drunkest of the drunk.

“So what do you really think the odds are of us getting someone to take us to an island kingdom tomorrow?” Nicole asked before taking a sip of her drink.

“Hell if I know. Probably one in a million,” Wynonna scoffed and downed half her tankard.

“Gee, someone’s optimistic,” Nicole mumbled.

“I do my best,” Wynonna gave a sarcastic smile and slammed her cup down on the table, Waving to Shorty for another one.

“So, Wynonna,” Nicole cleared her throat and took another sip of her drink. “You and Waverly...you’ve known each other for a long time,” Wynonna looked up at Nicole, who wouldn’t look her in the eye. “Do you think I have a shot?”

“What kind of stupid question is that?” Wynonna raised an eyebrow.

“A rhetorical one, I guess,” Nicole shrugged. Shorty brought them both another drink and Nicole downed half of hers in one sip. “There’s no way she’d be interested in me. I mean, she’s royalty after all. She’s the queen! The second we get her back on the throne, she’ll probably forget about me.”

Nicole had been playing what some would call hard to get since she and Waverly met, but the thing was that Nicole’s insecurities were gripping her so tight that she had almost no control over her actions. She  _ wanted _ to kiss Waverly the night before when they were talking by the fire; she  _ wanted _ to give in and let Waverly be her “knight in shining armor,” playing into the whole damsel in distress bullshit Chrissy gave. Nicole was, without a doubt, head over heels for Waverly, but she was too high strung and on edge to let her guards down even a little bit. It was too hard to trust anyone these days, even a group of people so willing to put up with her and her abilities.

Nicole nearly laughed at how stupid she must have sounded asking Wynonna for advise about the girl she practically saw as her sister. Even if she did stand a chance with Waverly, Wynonna would surely kick her ass before she could even think about finally making a move. And even if Wynonna didn’t bother with her, chances of things working out in her favor were surely low. Waverly was royalty, Nicole wasn’t. Waverly held high honor and therefore probably had high standards, and Nicole had...well she was just a stupid witch from a stupid town and a severly fucked up past. It was impossible for Waverly to see her as anything more than that.

“Waves doesn’t really think like that. She’s not shallow or bitchy like other royals,” Wynonna’s voice suddenly interrupted Nicole’s thoughts. The redhead looked across the table at the other woman who was staring at her drink.

“I wasn’t accusing her of being shallow, if that’s what you think.”

“Of course you weren’t, dipshit, you’re already in love with her,” Wynonna replied, looking up at Nicole. “I’d say you have a pretty good chance with her. Better than you think you do.”

“You really think that?” Nicole asked almost in a whisper.

“Of course, ladybird,” Wynonna reached across the small table and clamped a hand down on Nicole’s arm. “But if you hurt her, so help me Haught, I will kill you.”

Nicole stared at her with wide eyes and mouth agape. Wynonna stared back with a scowl so nasty it could make dairy curdle. Moments passed and Wynonna dropped the scowl, snorting and laughing so loud Nicole could hear it above the music and chatter of other tavern patrons.

Before Nicole could respond, the tavern doors swung open and a middle-aged man sporting a mustache and a black Stetson-like hat strutted in. 

“Shorty! Your finest table, please!” He said in a cheery, very thick, southern accent. He took a few steps across the bar and neared Wynonna and Nicole’s table. “We have just had the damnedest time raiding one of Bulshar’s ships and all of my men are here to celebrate.”

The man tossed a small leather pouch of coins onto the bar top and slid them over to Shorty, who gladly accepted them.

“Anything for you, Captain,” Shorty saluted and winked at the man. He turned to his bartenders and smiled. “Drinks all around for Captain Holliday and his crew!”

The group of burly men covered in dirt and sweat all cheered. The Captain grabbed his drink from the bar and turned to face Wynonna and Nicole.

“Shorty, I was not aware that we were in the presence of such fine ladies,” he said and tipped his hat before sitting next to Wynonna. “How’s it going tonight, girls?” Before either girl could answer, he continued, “You two don’t look like regulars. Where do you come from?”

“He’s got eyes, this one,” Wynonna commented sarcastically. “We don’t look like regulars because we’re not regulars, cowboy.”

“Oh I am no cowboy, darlin’,” the Captain replied.

“My bad, he’s a rough rider of the sea,” Wynonna looked at Nicole and rolled her eyes. “What do you want, mustache?”

“Who are you, and where are you ladies from?” The Captain asked again.

“I’m Wynonna, that’s Nicole. We’re from…” Wynonna glanced at Nicole.

“Well? Spit it out! Unless you’ve forgotten where you’re from,” the man laughed and slapped the table.

“We’re from a small village you’ve probably never heard of,” Nicole said.

“Oh a challenge!” He slammed his drink down on the table and smiled. “I do love a good challenge.”

“We’re from...Ghost River Country. It’s right outside of the royal castle,” Nicole said.

“Ghost River ain’t no small town! Heck that’s one of the biggest towns in all of the Kingdom of Purgatory!” Th Captain laughed and wiped a tear from his eye. “So what exactly brings two country girls like yourselves to the coast? If it’s money you seek, I am always open to more crew members,” he winked.

“We need to get to one of the island kingdoms,” Nicole said, not sure which one to mention.

“Well I’ll be damned, I’m heading out to the kingdom of Black Badge tomorrow moring!”

“Would it be too much to ask if we could catch a ride?” Nicole asked. “We’ll pay.”

“Black Badge is at least a three-day trip down the coast, assuming Lady Luck will be on our side. With the two of you on board, I suppose a deal can be struck,” the man winked.

“Well, the thing is, Captain, we’ve got three other with us,” Wynonna said.

“Any of ‘em fellas?” He asked, looking between the two suspiciously.

“One,” Wynonna said. “And you wouldn’t want to mess with him.”

“He strong?”

“I’d say so,” Nicole nodded.

The Captain sat back in his chair and pondered for a moment. His disappointment about Nicole and Wynonna having another man around was evident. They were sure he would say they couldn’t board his ship and Nicole was already thinking of other ways they could reach one of the other island kingdoms.

“We ain’t had a pair of strong arms on board in a while, let alone a couple of ladies,” the man leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “You can board my ship and sail to Black Badge with my crew, but it’ll cost you.”

“Name your price,” Wynonna raised an eyebrow.

“Three barrels of whiskey,” he smiled.

“That’s...doable,” Nicole looked at Wynonna.

“Great! I like you lads,” the Captain said as he slapped the table once more to gain Shorty’s attention. “How about we toast to the three of us becoming the three amigos!” He pumped a fist in the air as Shorty came to refill their drinks.

“Or something like that,” Nicole mumbled before clinking her gass with the other two at the table.

“Now, ladies, if you don’t mind, there seems to be a party going on. And if there’s one thing I’ve ever learned from my years of being a pirate, it’s how to party!”

The Captain stood and joined his now drunken crew on the other side of the room. Nicole and Wynonna sat in their seats and stared at each other, hoping they didn’t just make a huge mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doc is a pirate? Nicole ACTUALLY has feelings for Waverly? Is the pining mutual? I guess you'll have to wait and find out later ;)
> 
> Wynonna giving Nicole the "if you hurt her, I'll kill you speech" is my new favorite thing k BYE
> 
> As always, follow me on Twitter! @deputyydipshit


	7. Maybe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Waverly!” Doc flagged down the princess from the wheel, a bottle of rum in his hand. “Come up here, we need to talk!”
> 
> “Do you really have to call me kid? I’m twenty-one years old,” Waverly rolled her eyes.”
> 
> “You ride my ship with my crew, I can call you kid,” Doc turned around and handed Waverly the bottle of rum.
> 
> “Aye, aye, captain,” Waverly gave a sarcastic salute.
> 
> “Your sarcasm is not appreciated, m’lady.”
> 
> “Duly noted, captain.”
> 
> “So, I must ask,” Doc spoke up after several minutes of silence, “what’s a group of kids like you heading to Black Badge for?”
> 
> “We...I need the king and queen’s help,” Waverly replied and looked at Doc with confusion when he started laughing.

Nicole had never felt so miserable in her life. She didn’t remember much about the night before, but she knew it must have been a lot of fun considering the wicked hangover she currently had. Perhaps she had  _ too _ much fun drinking with Doc Holliday and his crew, and maybe she’d had five beers too many to really remember anything specific. Lucky for her though, Wynonna didn’t seem to look much better than herself.

“You two remember where the ship is, right?” Nicole heard Waverly ask from behind them.

Nicole and Wynonna were currently leading the group down the streets of the coastal city, making their way to the place where Doc told them to meet him. Dolls walked with Waverly and Chrissy a few feet behind them, and Waverly switched between walking next to Nicole and behind her.

“Of course we do,” Wynonna stated matter-of-factly before gagging, using her strength to not throw up when they passed by Shorty’s.

The directions to Holliday’s ship were the only thing Nicole remembered from the night before, if she didn’t count the hazy memory of Wynonna threatening to kill her. They had returned to the inn just before the sun rose, and neither woman got a lick of sleep. Waverly was the first to voice her disappointment and concern, Dolls right behind her. He chastised the two for allowing themselves to become so inebriated when they really needed to be on high alert. Whoever attacked Wynonna was still out there, probably waiting for them.

“You mean to tell me, out of all the rum I carry on this ship, we’re only left with  _ two bottles _ of banana liqueur?!” The captain’s voice boomed from a distance. The group neared the ship and he smiled at them before turning back to his crew, yelling at a scrawny man clutching an empty bottle.

“Why don’t you go over there and explain to Red and Earp why all of the damned alcohol seems to have grown legs and walked off my ship! We’re going to be at sea for three days, Jett! We need  _ a lot  _ of alcohol!”

“Hey, Holliday! Calm your ‘stache! We brought y’er whiskey, just as you asked,” Wynonna motioned to the three barrels sitting on the dock.

“How did you two…” Waverly muttered.

“Don’t ask,” Nicole advised.

“I-I can go into the city and buy something else, if you’d like, sir,” the crew member stuttered.

“We seem to be low on our potato supply, go and buy a few sacks. And be sure to tip the nice lady,” Doc winked.

“Yes’ir,” the small man nodded and descended the boarding ramp.

“Aye! And, Robin, try not to lick the potatoes this time.”

Once Robin had left, Doc turned to face the group of five and smiled.

“Ladies! How are you feeling on this beautiful morning? I do hate to tell you we’ve run out of all alcohol ‘cept for banana liqueur, but thanks to you we’ve got whiskey!” The captain quieted down and clasped his hands together, as if he were taking a moment to gather his thoughts. “If you think last night was a party, just think about the kind of trouble we’ll be getting into at sea!” Doc laughed and slapped his knee. Wynonna and Nicole shared a look. “So I see you’ve brought your friends with you,” he continued, looking behind them and meeting Dolls’ stare.

Doc walked past Nicole and Wynonna, brushed past Dolls and his extended hand, and stopped in front of Waverly.

“Captain John Henry Holliday, at your service,” he took Waverly’s hand in his own, kissing the top of her hand. “But you can call me Doc,” he winked and bowed. “Now, please do tell me, what is your name, beautiful?”

Wynonna could feel the anger radiating off of Nicole from where she stood.

Waverly gave a curt, sarcastic smile. “It’s Lady Waverly to you,  _ captain _ ,” Waverly went with her informal title to conceal her identity and crossed her arms.

“A member of the royal family, I see. It ain’t everyday one of them wanders onto my ship. Pleasure to have you on board, my lady,” Doc tipped his hat and flashed a smile, but Waverly was unfazed by it. He moved onto Chrissy.

“Keep it moving, cowboy. I’m not interested,” Chrissy placed her hands on her hips and stared at the captain.

“I was just going to inform you that the old girl’s got a kitchen, and we would all love it if you could make some bread for us,” Doc offered sincerely.

“What...how did you know…?”

“I’ve been riding the seas for ages, darlin’, I’ve gotten accustomed to all the smells. And you smell of sweet, fresh bread.”

“Well...thank you for the offer. I might just take you up on that,” Chrissy winked.

“Fantastic!” Doc clapped his hands together just as a large crash came from behind the group.

“For God’s sake, first the whiskey is gone and now my crew is tearing up my ship! This trip hasn’t started the way it should have. Oi! Boys! Hands off  _ Charlene _ before I have your heads!” He yelled before running up the boarding ramp.

“I guess we should get on the ship now,” Dolls said before following Doc.

“Yeah, don’t want to be left behind now do we?” Chrissy rolled her eyes as they all followed Dolls.

\- - - - -

“Waverly!” Doc flagged down the princess from the wheel, a bottle of rum in his hand. “Come up here, we need to talk!”

“Do you really have to call me kid? I’m twenty-one years old,” Waverly rolled her eyes.”

“You ride my ship with my crew, I can call you kid,” Doc turned around and handed Waverly the bottle of rum.

“Aye, aye, captain,” Waverly gave a sarcastic salute.

“Your sarcasm is not appreciated, m’lady.”

“Duly noted, captain.”

“So, I must ask,” Doc spoke up after several minutes of silence, “what’s a group of kids like you heading to Black Badge for?”

“We...I need the king and queen’s help,” Waverly replied and looked at Doc with confusion when he started laughing.

Doc saw Waverly’s confused expression and turned to face her, explaining himself.

“Oh you didn’t hear? The royals were slaughtered by assassins nearly a year ago. Between me and you, I say it was Bulshar and his wives.”

“So who’s in charge now? Surely they had a second in line?” Waverly asked and leaned against the banister, searching for Nicole on the deck below. She saw the redhead across the ship talking to Dolls. Waverly smiled and took note of how happy and relaxed she seemed to be.

“Their son...oh what’s his name? Jeremy, I believe. A poor candidate for king, if you ask me. Anyway, it’s unlikely you’ll find the help you need from him. He isn’t a very good ruler. I hear he’s trying to find a partner to take over the throne for him.”

Waverly snapped out of her Nicole-induced daze just in time to hear Doc mention the new king. Hearing of Jeremy, she suddenly remembered her geography lessons with Wynonna and how they learned of each kingdom and every member of the royal families. Jeremy’s family was almost as messed up as hers was, as his parents were also not his own blood related. His real mother and father had been attacked at a port when he was little, and he got thrown into the lion’s den, so to say. Members of the royal court of Black Badge took him in and raised him as their own.

“I wouldn’t be too hard on him, you know. He’s been through a lot and he’s only, what, twenty? Twenty-one?”

“I don’t pay much attention to ages unless they be pretty girls,” Doc winked.

Waverly rolled her eyes. “So why won’t he help us exactly?”

“His court is full of a bunch of crazies and only lets a certain kind of people see the king,” Doc waved his hand around. “Won’t even talk to you unless you’re a princess.”

“Good thing I’m a princess, then,” Waverly stifled a laugh.

“Pardon?” Doc turned around so fast his boot slipped and he abruptly turned the wheel. Everyone on the top deck braced themselves and screamed at the captain. Doc only rolled his eyes and ordered a crew member to take control of the ship.

He brought Waverly into the captain’s quarters, locking the door and sitting down in a large leather chair behind a wooden desk. He motioned for Waverly to sit across from him and she obeyed.

“Now what’s all this jabbering about being a princess?” Doc leaned his elbows on the table and stared Waverly down. “Why didn’t yer friends mention this last night?”

“Because I’ve asked my group to keep it a secret. Also because they were shitfaced,” Waverly deadpanned. “Even if they did say it, knowing your track record, you wouldn’t have remembered.”

“But you’re a princess? Of what kingdom?”

“Purgatory.”

“Hold on now, all of Purgatory’s royals were killed by Bulshar and the Widows!”

“Clearly not if I’m sitting here.”

“You’re a snippy one, aren’t you,” Doc stared at Waverly. “Right, so let’s say I play along. What does ‘Princess Waverly’ need King Chetri for?”

“I need his army to help me take Bulshar down and take back my throne.”

“You’re planning on dethroning Bulshar?” Doc leaned back in his chair and stroked his beard. “Interesting.”

Waverly raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. “You don’t believe me,” she challenged.

“It’s not that, it’s just…” Doc studied the woman before her, having a hard time believing  _ this _ was Purgatory’s lost princess. He reasoned with himself that he’d seen stranger things in his years at sea, so he thought it couldn’t hurt to play into it. “Know what? I’m in.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’ll help you take back your fancy throne.”

“Why would you do that?” Waverly stood up from her seat. “I didn’t even ask you that! Didn’t even propose such a thing!”

“Listen, little lady, I’ve got my own reasons for wanting Bulshar and his court taken down. I want them gone as much as the next Purgatorian, but I could be a good resource for you. I own these seas and I’m one of the fastest gunslingers any swashbuckler has ever seen.”

“Don’t pirates normally favor sword fighting?”

“Not this old captain. Gun fightin’ is a more graceful way to establish your dominance. I could take Bulshar down by myself, with just my pistols at my side, but since it is  _ your _ throne, I’m assuming you will want that part.”

“Alright, then,” Waverly nodded.

“I think this is the part when we shake hands,” Doc rose to his feet. “I’m not very good with formalities if you haven’t noticed.”

“Oh I’ve noticed, Captain,” Waverly winked and extended her hand. Doc grabbed her hand and shook it firmly.

“Welcome to the royal army, Captain Holliday.”

\- - - - -

“So, when did you officially start fighting with the royal army?” Wynonna asked Dolls. Everyone had gone to sleep hours ago, but the two found themselves unable to sleep. So they stayed up in Dolls’ cabin talking, sitting on opposite sides of his bed.

“My twenty-first birthday, about two months before the raids began.”

“Were they really a surprise like Bulshar claims? Or was that just to fuel his deflating ego?”

Dolls chuckled and shook his head. “Maybe the higher ranking soldiers knew of them, but Moody swore he had no idea.”

Wynonna nodded slightly and sighed, picking at the hem of her shirt. Dolls watched her hands, trembling and tense as they were, and cleared his throat. Wynonna looked up at him and he swallowed hard before asking the question that had been burning in the back of his mind for days now.

“What happened to you inside the castle?”

“They kept me in a cell,” Wynonna replied simply.

“That’s all? Did you talk to anyone?”

“Only those ugly ass bitches Bulshar calls his wives. Every now and then one of the dumbass guards outside the cell would try and strike up a conversation but I just gave em one of these,” Wynonna lifted a hand and raised her middle finger.

Dolls smiled and let a quiet laugh slip out. “That’s all? No one else?”

“Well, there was this woman who seemed...more than just off her rocker.”

“Who was she?”

“They called her the Stone Witch. Every time I heard her stupid heeld boots coming down the corridor I knew she was about to beat the shit out of me.”

“They  _ tortured _ you in there?” Dolls’ voice rose slightly.

“Yeah,” Wynonna shrugged and looked back at her hands. “It’s no big deal, really. My life was already fucjed up before. That was...it was a walk in the park.”

“Well, no one is ever going to hurt you again,” Dolls said after a moment, moving across the bed and taking Wynonna’s hand in his own.

“How can I possibly believe such bullshit?” Wynonna scoffed.

“Because you’ve got me to protect you from now on,” Dolls placed his hand under Wynonna’s chin and tilted her head up. “I’ll be your knight in shining armor, even if you don’t need one.”

Wynonna rolled her eyes but smiled as Dolls brought their lips together in a quick, yet tender kiss.

\- - - - -

_ “Rosita? Is that you?” Nicole sat up in her bed, having failed at her attempt to stay awake until her sister had gotten home. _

_ “Yeah,” Rosita crawled into bed next to the redhead. _

_ “So? How was it?” Nicole grinned. _

_ “Holy shit, Nic, she’s something else,” Rosita’s smile gleamed even in the dark and Nicole suppressed a squeal. _

_ “So is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Nicole pretended to be serious, trying to read the situation and to get Rosita to tell her everything. _

_ “Neither. It’s a fucking  _ great _ thing!” _

_ “I’m guessing there’s a second date happening in the future?” _

_ “If she asked me to marry her today, I would say yes,” Rosite grinned at Nicole. “Does that answer your question?” _

_ “We’re only seventeen, Rosie. There’s no need to get yourself married just yet,” Nicole chuckled. “At least let me meet her first!” _

_ “The next time we meet, I’ll have her walk me back home if Dad let’s me. How’s that sound?” _

The dream shifts.

_ Rosita met with her mysterious lover three more times before she decided it was time Nicole met her. _

_ “I’m bringing her home today, so shut up!” Rosita laughed, trying to push Nicole off of her. _

_ “You know this means I’m going to embarrass the shit out of you, right?” Nicole winked. _

_ Rosita left for work that day and never returned. _

\- - - -

Nicole woke with a start, jolting upright. Not wanting to dream of her “sister” - or of anything for that matter - Nicole headed for the sky deck, what the captain had so gracefully called the poop deck.

It had been almost five years since Rosita had disappeared and every day that passed, Nicole missed her more and more. They might have been left for dead by different parents, but they were raised under the same roof by the same man, in the same foster home. They were very different and shocked everyone with how close they became as quickly as they had, but Rosita and Nicole were inseparable.

So when the news broke that Rosita was abducted by Bulshar, Nicole’s whole world was turned upside down. She ran away from home, being unable to control her abilities around her parents. They knew she was special, but they would have never accepted knowing just how powerful she really was. She never got to meet the girl that made her sister happier than she’d ever seen her, and she never got to grow up knowing what it was like to truly be happy with a family.

Revenge on Bulshar was all she could ever think about.

The gentle waves crashing against the old wood of  _ Charlene _ brought comfort to Nicole. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, letting the white noise transport her back to a simpler and safer time. She wasn’t exactly sure how long she’d been standing out there, but she opened her eyes and realized she was shivering. It was an eerily cold night at sea.

Nicole felt something drop onto her shoulders and she jumped, hands gripping the railing and igniting with flames, charring the wood beneath them.

“Hey, don’t freak out. It’s okay, it’s just me,” Waverly whispered in her ear. “You looked cold, so I brought you the blanket from my bed.”

Waverly wrapped the blanket around Nicole’s shoulders and wrapped her arms around Nicole’s waist, resting her forehead between Nicole’s shoulder blades. She was too damn short to rest her chin on her shoulder, so she opted for the next best thing.

“So what brings you to the poop deck in the middle of the night?”

“I had a dream,” Nicole replied.

“What about?”

“My...sister,” Nicole hesitated with the word. She never talked about Rosita. She never let anyone get close to her. So how come when Waverly was around, her barriers seemed to crumble completely?

_ Stop letting your barriers down. You know what happens when you let people get close to you. Bad things happen. Don’t let Waverly in, you don’t want to lose her too. _

“What happened in this dream?”

It was as if the conversation Nicole just had with herself didn’t even happen, because the second Waverly asked that question, her mouth opened and words spilled out. She told Waverly about Rosita, how they met and became sisters, and how she disappeared one day. How she was forced to become part of Bulshar’s court, and how she was...probably now dead.

Waverly listened without speaking a single word, letting Nicole take her time and say whatever she felt comfortable with revealing. When she finished, Waverly placed a gentle kiss to Nicole’s cheek.

“We’re going to find Rosita, Nicole.”

Waverly didn’t tell her she was sorry, she didn’t ask questions. She just said that one simple, short sentence. And that short sentence was exactly what Nicole needed to hear.

Maybe everything was going to be okay.

Maybe it would be okay if she let her guards down for Waverly.

Maybe Wynonna was right.

_ Maybe. _


	8. Name Your Price

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Ah! So the rumors are true. Princess Waverly is alive and has come to ask for my help,” he smiled and looked at Waverly.
> 
> “Yes, your majesty,” Waverly curtseyed. Wynonna snorted and Nicole lightly smacked the back of her head.
> 
> “You are quite the odd bunch, many different faces I’m seeing. Faces that all tell a different story,” the man rose and approached the group standing in a straight line before him. “Oh, pardon my awkwardness, what kind of host would I be if I didn’t introduce myself properly?”
> 
> He came to a stop a few feet away from Waverly and caught the eye of another young man standing behind her, next to Chrissy. Their eyes met briefly, but the king cleared his throat and focused on Waverly.
> 
> “I’m King Jeremy, but you can just call me Jeremy. I don’t really like formalities, I feel like an asshole for using them and so-”
> 
> Waverly giggled and waved him off, effectively cutting off his rambling. “I’m glad you feel that way, because so do I. So you can just call me Waverly.”

Their three day journey at sea seemed to stretch on for years to both Waverly and Chrissy. Wynonna and Dolls had been acting strange since their first night on board  _ Charlene _ , but no one seemed to notice. And if they did, they didn’t say anything. Doc and Nicole spent most of their time talking about myths of the sea, and swapping stories of their past. Most of these stories, Waverly observed by eavesdropping, typically ended with one of them on their deathbed. Hearing the amount of times Nicole has had to fight and run for her life only made Waverly want to protect her even more.

“She doesn’t need protection, you know,” Chrissy commented, as if reading her mind.

“I never said she did,” Waverly defended.

“You always look at her like she’s a lost puppy.”

“She has a way of breaking me open without even saying anything, Chrissy. I don’t know what it is or why, but there’s just something about her.”

“Stop using your feelings to deflect. She doesn’t need to be saved, she doesn’t need to be protected, and you know that.”

“What’s with this hardass stunt you’re pulling all of a sudden?” Waverly tore her eyes away from the redhead and faced her friend.

“I just don’t want you to get your heart broken, Waves. She’s clearly not interested in you like that.”

“What do you know about me in order to stand here and give me the talk about heartache? You know nothing I’ve been through, nothing I’ve endured to get here today,” Waverly snapped.

“All I’m saying is that you need to focus on what’s important, and that isn’t sleeping with the witch.”

“Don’t call her that,” Waverly clenched her jaw. “It doesn’t matter what she is, Nicole is an amazing person who you know even less about than you do about me. I appreciate your concern, but I’m capable of making decisions on my own and keeping my head on straight.”

“Waverly, stop…” Chrissy sighed as the brunette pushed past her and went to their cabin.

“Waves has got the whole ‘I’m not a damsel, even if I’m in distress’ schtick down pat,” Wynonna came up next to Chrissy and leaned against the banister. “She had to deal with a stalker back when we went to class together. Freaky kid.”

“What, was he trying to convince her that she needed the help of a strong man to make her life complete?” Chrissy rolled her eyes.

“Said the throne wasn’t built to be held by such a ‘dainty and young woman’ like Waverly. What a load of crap, eh? Tucker Gardner was a grade A pain in my ass.”

“You want to talk about royal pains, try putting up with stable boy Champ Hardy for a day and then get back to me.”

The two of them burst into laughter, rolling their eyes at the prospect of another man telling them what to do and how to live their lives. Their laughter soon died down and a silence fell upon them, neither girl really knowing what to say.

“She knows you mean well,” Wynonna said. “She’s just...looking for happiness. Something I’m sure she hasn’t had in years.”

“Something none of us have had in years,” Chrissy corrected.

“Ain’t that the truth,” Wynonna sighed. “Just let her do what she wants. If she gets hurt then she’ll learn her lesson, readjust, and move forward.”

“I trust your judgement, since you seem to know her best,” Chrissy nodded.

_ “Quit flapping y’er gums and get to work, boys! Land ho!” _ Doc’s voice rained down on his crew from above.

In an instant, the captain’s crew began working to bring  _ Charlene _ to the dock smoothly. Nicole watched in awe at the way the crew worked together in such perfect harmony, wondering why she never decided to take off and become a pirate after Rosita had been taken. It seemed to be one of the most ideal lifestyles. Living a nomadic life on the sea sure seemed a lot better than running for her life from the Widows and their soldiers. Tearing her eyes away from the men below, Nicole looked around for Waverly. She frowned when the brunette wasn’t anywhere in sight, and assumed Waverly must have been in her cabin.

Nicole made her way across the ship and down below the deck in search of the princess.she reached the door and lifted her hand to knock, but the door swung open before she could. Waverly jumped back and stifled a scream, not knowing Nicole was standing outside. The redhead took a few steps back and covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

“I’m sorry,” Nicole apologized. “I was just coming down here to tell you that we’ve just docked and are about to get off the ship.”

“I could tell by the way we started moving, but thank you for thinking of me,” Waverly smirked and giggled at the way Nicole’s face flushed.

“Y-yeah, it’s, uh, it’s no big deal at all,” Nicole stammered and rubbed the back of her neck.

“Come on,” Waverly smiled. “Let’s not keep the king waiting.”

And with that, Nicole and Waverly met their friends on the deck above and disembarked together.

\- - - - -

They found the castle with ease, the dock being only a few miles south of the property. Doc claimed he knew the island like the back of his hand and Wynonna commented that he wasn’t even able to find his hand the night before when he was far beyond inebriated.

“Darlin’ I do not expect courtesy from such a beautiful fox as yourself, but I do wish that you would keep my drunken business out of the lives of our friends here.”

The island’s capital, Black Rock, was just off the coast, visible from the captain’s ship. The exterior of the royal palace was awe-inspiring, but it was the inside that made the group stop and stare.

The main hall they currently found themselves in was lined with large Greek columns, each pillar bearing a red banner with the royal family crest of a dragon stitched in several vibrant colors. There was a red velvet carpet leading their way from the hall to the throne room, stopping just before the first step to the beautiful golden throne that sat across the room.

Standing beside the throne was a very nervous looking young man with tan skin. He wore brown pants with a red tunic and a black cape cascading down his back, to his knees. A thick, brown belt held a sword at his waist, and Waverly couldn’t help but wonder if he ever actually uses the weapon, or if it’s there for decoration.

Upon seeing the group, the man turned and sat at his throne. He adjusted his crown which still sat crookedly on his head, and clapped his hands together nervously.

“Ah! So the rumors  _ are _ true. Princess Waverly is alive and has come to ask for my help,” he smiled and looked at Waverly.

“Yes, your majesty,” Waverly curtseyed. Wynonna snorted and Nicole lightly smacked the back of her head.

“You are quite the odd bunch, many different faces I’m seeing. Faces that all tell a different story,” the man rose and approached the group standing in a straight line before him. “Oh, pardon my awkwardness, what kind of host would I be if I didn’t introduce myself properly?”

He came to a stop a few feet away from Waverly and caught the eye of another young man standing behind her, next to Chrissy. Their eyes met briefly, but the king cleared his throat and focused on Waverly.

“I’m King Jeremy, but you can just call me Jeremy. I don’t really like formalities, I feel like an asshole for using them and so-”

Waverly giggled and waved him off, effectively cutting off his rambling. “I’m glad you feel that way, because so do I. So you can just call me Waverly.”

“Waverly,” Jeremy nodded. “So, Waverly, how can I help you and your companions?”

“Actually,” Waverly looked around at all of Jeremy’s servants and court members, “could we talk somewhere more...private?”

“Oh, of course!” Jeremy clapped his hands together and smiled. “This way,” he walked the group down the halls of his castle, passing by ballrooms and dining rooms all ornately decorated. They stopped at the end of a hall, in front of two wooden doors. Pushing them open, Jeremy revealed a large sitting room.

“How about Jeremy and I go talk over in the room next door?” Waverly suggested. “You know, royal to royal.”

“Fantastic idea. The rest of you can sit here while Waverly and I speak privately in my boardroom. I shall send for a servant to bring you all some food or something to drink. Make yourselves comfortable and enjoy yourselves!” Jeremy laughed. “We shouldn’t be too long.”

Waverly and Jeremy exited the room leaving both Robin and Nicole staring at the door they just left out of. Wynonna plopped down on a rather large couch and propped her feet up on one of the arms. Dolls and Chrissy spoke quietly with Doc, and Nicole soon was lost in her thoughts. The way Jeremy looked at Waverly was both concerning and humorous. It seemed forced, like he was being told to approach the princess in such a fashion, but Nicole wasn’t much in the mood to be hopeful. So, there she sat, chin in her hands, chastising herself for not making a move sooner. All hope was lost.

\- - - - -

King Jeremy gave Waverly a weird vibe. He seemed very nervous in everything he said, almost as if he knew someone were listening to their every word. He constantly stumbled over his own words and paced around the room like a dog guarding its owner. There was also the brief moment of time when Waverly was positive he tried to lean in and kiss her, which only further confused her. Jeremy didn’t give off a “straight” vibe so she was confused why he would be forcing himself to hit on her.

“You can drop the act, Jeremy,” Waverly finally said after the king’s fifth poorly made compliment.

“I, um, w-what?” Jeremy came to a halt in his pacing and faced the princess.

“You don’t have to pretend to be interested in me,” Waverly smiled. “I can tell this isn’t exactly your field of expertise.”

“I can flirt with anybody I’d like, thank you. I’m the king,” Jeremy crossed his arms.

“I meant...women,” Waverly said bluntly.

“Oh,” Jeremy’s face fell and his tan cheeks tinted red. “That obvious?”

“Just a smidge,” Waverly giggled. “And don’t think I didn’t notice you and Robin lock eyes back there.”

“Robin? So that’s his name,” Jeremy smiled before clearing his throat. “Right, well...we can discuss that later. Right now we need to talk, royal to royal.”

“Royal to royal,” Waverly nodded.

“So, Waverly, first things first. Where have you been all of these years? Bulshar and the Widows have had rule over your kingdom for a long time,” Jeremy sat down on a cushioned chair and motioned for Waverly to sit in the empty one to his right.

“I was living in the woods,” Waverly sat in the chair. 

“By yourself? You weren’t afraid?” Jeremy gasped. “I mean, that had to have been hard, right? Especially knowing that you were the only survivor and all.”

“Well, I wasn’t alone the entire time. My friend, Wynonna, was with me for a while. And then she got taken too.”

“And she escaped? How?”

Waverly shrugged. “She says someone helped her, gave her some supplies and told her to find me again.”

“And Robin?” Jeremy asked, taking interest in the many rings adorning his hands.

“What about him?” Waverly fought back a grin.

“How’d you two meet?”

“Oh, we’ve only known each other for a couple of days now. He’s part of Holliday’s crew.”

“He’s a pirate?” Jeremy’s head jerked in Waverly’s direction. “Hardcore.”

“He’s cute, isn’t he?” Waverly smiled.

“I’ll say so,” Jeremy nodded and leaned back in his chair. “Problem is that he and I would never work out.”

“Why’s that?” Waverly tilted her head.

“Because he’s a guy.”

“Okay, and? What’s so wrong with that?”

“Nothing, except that my court...the people who really make the big calls here since I’m apparently ‘not fit to be king, but we have no other choice’ kind of...wanted to set me up with you.”

“With  _ me _ ? Why?”

“Because they think our kingdoms can come together as one under the great act of marriage,” Jeremy mocked his court members. “And marriage, supposedly, is between a man and a woman. Between two royals. So Robin is oh for two there.”

“You’re the king, Jeremy. You make the rules here, even if the people serving you don’t think you’re a right fit for the throne.”

“I guess we’ll have to see how things go,” Jeremy shrugged before standing up. “Let’s talk about why you really came here,” he said, suddenly getting serious. It was a weird look on the nervous boy, Waverly thought.

Waverly nodded and stood up as well. “Well...I, uh...I need an army. To help get rid of the Clooties.”

“I figured as much,” Jeremy nodded and placed his hands on his hips. “Alright, I’ll help you out, but only on one condition.”

Waverly folded her arms and smirked at the king as he slowly turned to face her. “Name your price.”

\- - - - -

One thing Doc hated more than being out of whiskey was waiting. He couldn’t stop thinking about Wynonna, but every time he thought about her, his memories of Rosita would come flooding back to the front of his mind. And then he would remember Dolls and his blood began to boil.

He was standing in the way of something beautiful he could have with the Lady.

“You’re awfully quiet there, Hank. Cat got your tongue?” The captain looked up to see Wynonna standing in front of his chair.

“Oh, I am just thinkin’ darlin’. Not much else to do these days, is there?”

Wynonna eyed him suspiciously and sat down next to him, a small glass of what Doc assumed to be some sort of alcohol in her hand.

“Listen, I’m not going to try and pry info out of you, since you seem to have this whole quiet brute act down, but just know that if you need to talk about your shit, I’m always here.”

“That seems very out of character of you, Wynonna,” Doc questioned.

“How would you know what’s out of character for me? We’ve only just met. I’ve got layers to me, cowboy,” Wynonna sipped her drink and kicked her feet up.

“I do apologize,” Doc rolled his eyes and shook his head. “You would really do that for me?”

“Sure would,” Wynonna reached over and swiped down on the brim of Doc’s hat, causing it to fall off of his head.

“Now why would you do such a thing?” Doc asked, placing the hat on his knee.

“I’ve been told by many that I’m a good listener,” Wynonna shrugged. “Plus, if we’re going to fight together, I might as well  _ try _ to be friends with you.”

“I believe we might have gotten off on the wrong, drunken foot, Wynonna,” Doc ran a hand through his messy hair and extended his other hand toward the raven haired woman. “I am John Henry Holliday, commander of the sea, harboror of whiskey, and captain of the  _ Charlene _ . But most people just call me Doc.”

“Wynonna Earp,” Wynonna gripped the captain’s hand and gave it a rough shake. “Pleasure to meet you,” she flashed a dimpled smile.

“I do believe the pleasure is all mine, Miss Earp,” Doc winked.

A silence fell over the two for a few awkward moments before the captain spoke again.

“You know, Wynonna, you and Waverly seem to have a lot of similarities. I find it odd that the two of you act like you’re so different.”

“She’s like my sister,” Wynonna shrugged and tossed back the rest of her whiskey. “It’s what sisters do.”

“Are you positive the two of you are not related at all? Because there are some striking resemblances that I can’t put my finger on just yet.”

“Well, why don’t you work on that and get back to me when you figure it out, hm?” Wynonna patted Doc’s knee.

“It’s almost like maybe your parents-”

“Earp, you’ve got to come check this out!” Dolls waved Wynonna over from one of the tables across the room.

Wynonna sighed and stood from her seat, turning to face the captain before she left.

“Listen, Johnny Hank, I’m not exactly sure how to say this so I’m just going to spit it out,” Doc looked up at her, clearly confused. “I know this whole captain thing you’ve got going on is a charade, that you’re probably a nice guy deep down. Maybe you were involved with the law and it didn’t treat you right, so you became a vigilante. I can tell you’re hurting on the inside,” Wynonna stepped closer and lowered her voice. “Whoever she was, she must have been something special.”

“Now hold on a second. How did you…?”

Wynonna gripped Doc’s shoulder and whispered. “I can just tell. No man is ever the same after he loses a woman he loved,” before standing up straight and walking over to Dolls.

Doc watched her in silent shock, mustache twitching and arms crossed. Wynonna was something special, alright.

\- - - - -

Jeremy eyed Waverly, eyebrows knitted together in concentration, as he devised an elaborate plan in his head. If he played his cards right and worded it the way he needed to, maybe it could work. Waverly stood with her arms crossed, tapping her foot in anticipation. She knew Jeremy didn’t have it in him to ask for money or other goods in exchange for his military, but she also had to remind herself that he had people talking in his ear for him. She also knew absolutely nothing about him.

“I’ve got it!” Jeremy finally exclaimed, clasping his hands together. “Just let me say all of it before you say no.”

“Um...okay?” Waverly raised an eyebrow.

“So, you see, here in Black Rock, I have an issue. As I’m sure you know by now, my parents died at the hands of one of Bulshar’s assassins, which left me to be king at the age of twenty-three. In just about any other kingdom, this wouldn’t raise any alarm to anyone. But, as we’ve previously discussed earlier, my parents didn’t force a marriage upon me, leaving me single and ruling this kingdom all by my lonesome.”

Jeremy began pacing the room, Waverly following him with her eyes. “I have no wife, and therefore no heir. If I were to die before I had any posterity, my kingdom would fall into great turmoil, and Bulshar would easily be able to take over all of Black Badge as well. The only issue with this whole thing is that...I’m not particularly into the female gender.”

“Okay, so what does this have to do with me?” Waverly asked, clearly skeptical.

“I’m getting there! So if I let you use my army to fight Bulshar, you’ll surely win,” Jeremy stated proudly. “When that happens, you’ll be named queen, but you’ll also have no heir. I am correct in assuming that, right?”

Waverly cleared her throat and nodded. “Yes…”

“And Black Rock and Purgatory are two of the biggest and most powerful kingdoms in the world…”

“Yes? So what?”

Jeremy rolled his eyes. “If they were to somehow ‘merge,’ they would be unstoppable.”

“Why the air quotes around merge?”

“Because if you and I came together under a marriage alliance…” Jeremy trailed off, hoping the princess would catch on.

“You mean...pretend to...be a thing?”

“If you and I gave my people, and probably your people, what they wanted then we could get off with minimal questions asked until we defeat Bulshar and his army. And then…”

“And then?” Waverly stared at Jeremy.

“We bid our farewell and go our separate ways. With Robin and...the redhead, what’s her name?”

“Nicole,” Waverly answered without a moment of hesitation. “Wait, how did you-”

“She was staring at you the entire time you’ve been here before we came to speak privately. And don’t think I didn’t see the way you looked at her,” Jeremy grinned.

“So we…’get married’ and ‘merge’ our kingdoms together until the Clooties are out of control and we’re able to make our own laws for our own kingdoms...and we get to live our happy gay lives?”

Jeremy grinned even wider. Waverly felt the idea was almost too crazy to be coming from the man before her. What the hell kind of mind does he have to come up with something so elaborate in such a short amount of time?

“Yes, I am proposing exactly that idea.  _ But _ no one can know of what is really going on here. No one. Not even Robin. Or Nicole.”

“Right.”

“So, Princess Waverly of Purgatory, what do you say? Do we have ourselves a deal?” Jeremy winked and extended his hand toward Waverly.

Waverly took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. This was a lot to take in and she wasn’t sure if it was something she really wanted to do. But she also knew she didn’t have much of a choice at this point. Too many people were relying on her, on both her and Jeremy, to take down the evildoers running her kingdom into the ground. Waverly shook her head, met Jeremy’s eyes, and smiled.

“Yes, King Jeremy, we do,” she shook Jeremy’s hand and smiled once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!
> 
> Follow me on twitter @seputyydipshit


	9. Anything Except My Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I...Nicole, I wanted to say no,” she leaned forward, elbows pressing to her knees. “I just..I couldn’t just say no, not with what’s on the line. I’m so sorry."
> 
> “You don’t have anything to be sorry for, Waverly,” Nicole replied softly, her gaze locked to the floor. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Waverly. It was too painful. “You and I both knew you have to marry somebody with royal blood.”
> 
> “Yeah,” Waverly chuckled humorously. “That was going to be the first thing I changed when I became queen.”
> 
> Nicole’s head snapped in Waverly’s direction, anger and fear coating her features so much that Waverly couldn’t see the Nicole she began falling for; she couldn’t see her Nicole.
> 
> “I want you by my side for everything, Nicole,” Waverly continued. “I can’t do this without you.”
> 
> “Can’t do what?”
> 
> “Any of this.”

The doors of the sitting room opened and Waverly and Jeremy entered, arms intertwined, forced smiles plastered on their faces. Nicole looked up from her seat to see Waverly on the king’s arm and her blood was boiling instantly.

“Great news, everyone!” Jeremy exclaimed as excitedly as he could. “There is to be a ball tonight, and all of you are invited to be our honored guests!”

“Honored guests? For what?” Dolls asked.

“What’s this celebration for?” Chrissy questioned, eyeing Waverly suspiciously.

“Waverly and I have come to an agreement! In return for receiving the full support of my military, she and I will join our two kingdoms together through matrimony!”

Nicole felt like she was going to be sick.

Wynonna choked on her whiskey and stood up quickly. “Marriage? You two?”

“Yes, Nonna,” Waverly answered softly, ignoring both Chrissy and Nicole’s stares.

“But...why?”

“Because he offered his full support,” Waverly answered shortly.

No further questions were asked and for the next half hour or so, Nicole found it hard to pay much attention to anything. The king left shortly to seek out his servants in order to begin preparations for the night’s big celebration. Wynonna and Dolls spoke briefly with Waverly across the room, but when Wynonna stormed off in the middle of their conversation, Dolls followed her. Doc muttered something about needing more rum to get him through the night, and so he left in search of some. Chrissy and Robin followed, leaving Nicole and Waverly alone for the first time since the moment they shared on Doc’s ship a few nights ago.

They sat on opposite sides of the room, ignoring each other, and the silence hung over them heavily for another half hour or so until Waverly finally spoke up.

“I...Nicole, I wanted to say no,” she leaned forward, elbows pressing to her knees. “I just..I couldn’t just say no, not with what’s on the line. I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for, Waverly,” Nicole replied softly, her gaze locked to the floor. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Waverly. It was too painful. “You and I both knew you have to marry somebody with royal blood.”

“Yeah,” Waverly chuckled humorously. “That was going to be the first thing I changed when I became queen.”

Nicole’s head snapped in Waverly’s direction, anger and fear coating her features so much that Waverly couldn’t see the Nicole she began falling for; she couldn’t see  _ her Nicole _ .

“I want you by my side for everything, Nicole,” Waverly continued. “I can’t do this without you.”

“Can’t do what?”

“Any of this.”

Nicole gave up trying to keep her tears at bay, not even bothering to wipe them from her cheeks.

“Then why did you agree to marry him?” She asked, her tone calm but angry.

“It was the only way to garner an army big enough to successfully take down Bulshar,” Waverly looked up and met Nicole’s eyes for the first time since they were left alone. “I’m going to talk him out of it, Nicole. I promise. I’m not going to marry him. I’ll give him whatever...or whoever he wants. Anything except my own hand in marriage.”

Waverly reached forward and placed her hand over Nicole’s and the redhead immediately retracted her hand. Nicole narrowed her eyes and tightened her jaw, releasing a deep breath from her nose.

“You promised you would marry him, Waverly,” Nicole stood up. “You can’t just go back on a promise like that. Especially when so much is on the line. You did what you had to do for the good of your kingdom.”

She crossed the room and stopped just before the door. Taking a deep breath, Nicole reached for the handle and pulled the door open. The door hung open, letting a slight draft into the room, yet Nicole stopped herself from leaving. She knew that once she left that room, the second she walked through that door, Waverly would never be hers again. After they took down Bulshar, she would take her throne and marry King Jeremy. The two of them would rule two of the most powerful kingdoms, and Waverly would forget all about her.

“Nicole, please,” Waverly whispered, fighting back a sob.

“I told you that you were loyal,” Nicole reminded Waverly of their conversation by the fire the first night they met. “Guess oranges are starting to fly.”

And with that, Nicole left the room. She knew it was too good to be true, that falling in love with a royal was only going to hurt her in the end. She had let her guard down around Waverly, trusted her with secrets no one else knew, and she was left hurt once more.

Like always.

Nicole walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Her relationship with Waverly, whatever it was they had going on, was over.

\- - - - -

“Come on, Wynonna, let me see!” Jeremy begged his new friend. “I’m sure you look amazing!”

“Are you sure this is all you have for me to wear?” Wynonna asked before stepping out into the room dressed in a floor length deep blue dress. She could barely breathe due to the tight corset wrapped around her torso, and the sleeves extended long past her hands.

“It was my mother’s dress,” Jeremy explained. “Not many things for you to wear here other than my own clothes.”

“I’m wearing a  _ dead woman’s dress _ ?! Jeremy, what the hell!”

“What are you going off about? This dress has been in my family for ages. And I think it really compliments your eyes.”

“I’ll have to agree with the king here, Wynonna. The blue really does something for you. Really makes your hair stand out,” Robin chimed in.

“I guess I do look hot,” Wynonna sighed and looked at herself in the mirror. “But I’m not going out there without any accessories, so either give me a necklace or something or I’m taking this off.”

Jeremy smiled and motioned to one of the servants standing near the door. The woman nodded and quickly dug through the small box of jewelry she had brought into the room, pulling out a silver necklace. She walked over to Wynonna and placed it around her neck, securing the clasp before stepping back.

“Perfect!” Jeremy smiled.

Wynonna opened her mouth to make a snarky comment but was cut off by a sharp knock on the door. Jeremy walke over to the door and opened it, turning back to Wynonna with a smile.

“It’s for you, Wynonna,” he turned back to the person at the door. “You look amazing...I mean... _ she _ ...she looks amazing.’

Wynonna rolled her eyes and walked over to the door, seeing Dolls standing in the hall decked out in a new Black Rock formal military uniform: cardinal red with a small golden dragon on the pocket. She bit back a smile and inappropriate comment and placed her hands on her hips.

“Damn,” was all Dolls said.

“Damn good or damn bad?” Wynonna raised an eyebrow.

Dolls looked her over one last time, leaned down to kiss her cheek, and whispered “great” into her ear. He held his arm out for her to take. “I think it’s time we head over to the ball, if that’s okay with you?”

“Who am I to deny such a gentleman? Of course,” Wynonna grinned and took his arm. “Thanks, Chetri. I’ll see you at the ball.”

The king said his goodbye and went back into his room with Robin. Dolls led them down the vast hall, toward the ballroom.

“I see you’ve switched teams on me, Xavier,” Wynonna joked.

Dolls looked down at his new uniform and groaned quietly. “Red really isn’t my color, but they didn’t seem to have any old royal Purgatorian uniforms,” he joked. “I figured that wearing this one for the night wouldn’t hurt.”

“How do you feel about Waves getting engaged to the king?” Wynonna asked after a brief moment of silence.

“I think it was smart strategically, but I have a feeling she didn’t want to do it.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Does the name Nicole Haught ring a bell?” Dolls glanced at Wynonna.

Wynonna pursed her lips. “Right. Haught Stuff looked devastated. You know, I really thought the two of them would end up together. It’s a disgustingly perfect love story. I was rooting for them.”

Dolls raised an eyebrow.

“Oh come on, Dolls! Waverly saved her from being burned at the stake and then when she takes her throne back, they get married and live happily ever after. It’s perfect.”

“This is so uncharacteristically like you, Earp, but I have to agree with you. One question, though. What about the laws stating that royalty can only marry royalty?” Dolls asked.

“I’ve always thought that rule was stupid, and I know Waves does too. I think people should be able to marry whoever they want,” Dolls couldn’t help but smile at her. “I really hope Jeremy lets her out of this deal.”

“Why does it have to be him who lets her out of the deal?”

“Because, Dolls, she always sticks to her word. Waverly won’t back out of the deal because she’d consider it to be breaking a promise, and she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she did that,” Wynonna answered matter-of-factly.

“Well...let’s hope that, for Nicole’s sake, the king lets her out of that deal,” Dolls sighed.

“One can only hope.”

\- - - - -

Nicole didn’t want to go to the ball. She didn’t want to go and watch Waverly dance around all night with her husband-to-be. She didn’t want to put on a fancy gown and attend a celebration pretending like everything was fine when, on the inside, she was anything but fine.

Nicole couldn’t shake the feeling that she should have seen this coming, that she should have known better than to let herself fall for someone she knew she could never be with. It was foolish for her to believe Waverly wouldn’t marry someone of royal blood, like Jeremy. It was the law.  _ You should have known better, Nicole _ , she scolded herself.

The door to the room swung open and brought Nicole out of her thoughts.

Captain Holliday stood in the doorway. “May I come in?”

Nicole nodded and Doc came in and shut the door quietly behind him. He sat down on the bed next to Nicole and removed his hat from his head.

“Did you find any rum?”

Doc shook his head. “You look like you feel about as shitty as I do right now.”

“How would you know how I feel?”

“I know what it feels like to have somebody you love ripped out of your hands,” he glanced at Nicole.

“You do?”

The captain looked at Nicole skeptically then turned his gaze to the floor. “I do.”

“Is this...is this about the king?” Nicole asked jokingly. Doc didn’t seem amused so she cleared her throat. “This is about Wynonna, isn’t it?”

“Now what on earth would make you think that?”

“It  _ is _ about her!”

“What a preposterous thing to think,” Doc huffed. “It is not.”

“Don’t lie to me, Holliday,” Nicole warned.

Doc gave her an intimidating stare that sent chills up the redhead’s spine. “You aren’t going to stop until I tell you, huh?”

“Not a chance,” Nicole crossed her arms, mocking the pirate, and widened her smile.

“You really can be annoying sometimes, Miss Haught, and I hope you realize that.”

“Start talking, captain.”

“I don’t think that’sー”

“Now.”

“Listen here, little lady. I ain’t gonna start talking if you’re going to have an attitude about it.”

“Alright, fine. I’ll just leave you to drown in your sorrows then,” Nicole stood up and almost made it to the door before he spoke up.

“Fine, I’ll bite. Get back here.”

Nicole smirked and walked back to the bed, sitting down next to Doc again.

“Before I became a man of the sea, there was this woman I was in love with. She was...well, she was something special” Doc paused before continuing. Nicole figured he was thinking about her. “Then, about three years ago, Bulshar’s army raided the city and she disappeared.”

“What was she like?” Nicole asked.

“Beautiful, smart, not from around these parts,” Doc recalled. Nicole raised an eyebrow at him and he explained. “She was from another country, from Latino or Hispanic roots. Tanned skin, big brain, lots of knowledge in the sciences.”

Nicole’s eyes went wide and she had to use all of her strength to keep her jaw from hitting the floor.

“After she was taken, I decided to become a pirate,” Doc continued. “When I thought about it, I knew I would not have to worry about her anymore. But then I meet you, and find Wynonna. and wow…”

Doc glanced over at Nicole again. “What are you lookin’ at me like that for, Nicole? Well? Spit it out!”

“I...you...and... _ oh _ ,” Nicole moved away from the captain.

“What?”

“That girl from your past...who disappeared in the raids…”

“Yes?”

“That...that was my sister...Rosita.”

His eyes widened.

“I knew you looked familiar that night in the bar! Why didn’t you say anything before?” Doc stood up. “Where’s Rosita? Do you know what happened to her?”

Nicole looked down at her hands. “I wasn’t aware Rosie was involved with you before…” Nicole stopped herself and shook her head. “I know about as much as you do. I honestly would much rather not talk about it, if that’s okay with you.”

He nodded. Nicole could feel a few tears escape her eyes, running down her cheeks.

Before she knew it, Doc pulled her into a tight embrace.

“I miss her too,” he whispered in her ear.

He let go of Nicole and she wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.

In the distance, they heard the sounds of trumpets announcing the arrival of who they could only assume to be Waverly and Jeremy inside the ballroom.

“I really don’t want to go in there,” Nicole admitted.

“You really like Miss Waverly, don’t you?”

Nicole nodded. “I should have known better. She’s going to be queen. We could never be together.”

She could feel Doc studying her. After a few minutes, he held out his hand to her.

“Why don’t I get the king away from her for a while so you can say a formal goodbye?”

“Are you sure about that? What about Wynonna?”

“Eh, I can get on his good side. Steal a kiss or two from Wynonna and get her to help me,” Doc shrugged.

Nicole studied Doc carefully for the first time. She could tell that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer, and she knew he would make it happen even if she said no.

“Fine,” she shook his hand and took a deep breath. Together, they walked to the ballroom. Nicole held back her tears and decided that the captain was right. She needed the closure.

\- - - - -

Rosita heard footsteps outside the throne room and hurried to hide behind one of the large pillars, pulling her black cape close to her so it wouldn’t show. The door opened and Bulshar walked in with the Widows and someone Rosita could only assume to be Constance, Bulshar’s third wife.

“With this gun, we will have the key to unleashing their spirits,” Constance said. “They’ll be our debt, and we will be able to control them.”

“Where is this gun being held now?” Bulshar asked, hands clasped tightly behind his back.

“Ever since it was taken from its heir, it has been held in the royal treasury room,” Constance smiled. “It will be safe there until we require its use.”

“When is the time to use it?” Beth said impatiently. “We can’t wait around forever, especially now with Princess Waverly on the move!”

“Patience, sister,” Mercedes placed a hand on Beth’s shoulder.

“The time is soon,” Bulshar answered. “We are waiting on our spies to report back to us. We need to know which island kingdom she has traveled to before we can send troops to kill them.”

Rosita’s eyes went wide.  _ Bulshar has spies in _ all  _ of the kingdoms? _

“Do you have any idea which one they could have gone to?” Constance asked.

“I believe the Kingdom of Black Badge would be her best bet. Their new king will be very welcoming of her cause,” Bulshar sat down on the throne with all three women standing in front of him.

“What purpose does this gun serve exactly?” Mercedes asked skeptically.

“Peacemaker will give us the power to unleash all of the demons both Wyatt and Ward Earp put a bullet through, and will allow us to break the barrier keeping us all confined to these three surrounding kingdoms, giving us the power to take over the world!” Constance cackled.

“Constance,” Bulshar spoke up. “Keep your voice down, you never know who could be listening.”

“Well, we can’t wait around forever. The sooner we do this, the better,” Beth said.

“The time is coming, my wives. Soon, when the Blood Moon is high in the sky above us.”

Rosita listened intently to the rest of their conversation, but nothing else they said seemed as important as the beginning. She waited until the room cleared out, and then made her way back down the secret passage to see the  _ real _ queen. She told her everything she heard, being sure to emphasize Bulshar’s desired use for Peacemaker.

“My dear child,” she muttered under her breath. “They’re going to bring Jolene back from the grave, the one thing my Waverly has spent her whole life running away from.”

“What should I do, ma’am?”

Rosita could see the queen thinking, conjuring up a plan in her head.

“I would wait until the news of the princess’s location comes,” she leaned forward and grasped Rosita’s arm before continuing in a whisper. “And then I would steal that gun and go find her.”


	11. The Perfect Moment Comes Too Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Why are they coming here?” Jeremy finally spoke up. “I don’t understand, I thought we were supposed to fight there.”
> 
> “That was the plan, sir,” the guard replied after calming his breathing.
> 
> “Bulshar wants to cut you off and stop you before you have the chance to get to him,” Dolls said.
> 
> “That way, if he loses, he will still have his kingdom,” Doc spoke up. “And...if we lose, then he can gain control over Black Badge. It is a win-win situation for him.”
> 
> “Do you think Bulshar will come here himself?” Nicole asked.
> 
> “Of course he wouldn’t. Why would he?” Wynonna scoffed. “He’s got Waves’ kingdom to run,” she rolled her eyes and shot a sad look toward Waverly.
> 
> “He also hasn’t declared war either,” Chrissy spoke up. “I don’t think he would come unless it was absolutely necessary, right?”
> 
> “Right, so what do we do?” Waverly asked, looking to both Dolls and Jeremy.
> 
> “Should I send out an army to handle them?” Jeremy asked the guard. “How many of them are there?”
> 
> “My men say they have spotted around fifteen or twenty of them,” the guard replied.
> 
> “Why such a small number?”
> 
> “It’s most likely a team sent to search the island,” Dolls said.

The ball might have actually been impressive to Waverly if she weren’t absolutely miserable. After the news of her and King Jeremy’s...engagement, several people came to the palace to congratulate the “happy” couple. Some of the villagers and other royals who stopped by asked Waverly numerous questions regarding her whereabouts over the past few years, asking specifically how she managed to survive Bulshar’s wrath. Waverly gave short answers, not really interested in telling her life story to a bunch of strangers. She blamed her irrational irritation on the extremely hot dress she was in, and the heels that were causing her feet to ache, but she knew it had to do with Nicole.

Her eyes were constantly scanning the room for Nicole.

Waverly looked around at the other guests, spotting Dolls and Wynonna dancing, Wynonna clearly forcing herself to enjoy it.  _ She’s never been much of a dancer _ Waverly thought with a slight smile.

She searched most of the night for Nicole, hoping she would turn up eventually. Waverly wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t come because, quite frankly, she didn’t want to be there either. It was like a knife right to her heart having to pretend to be in love with a man she’d only just met hours before. It was even worse that she was under the constant scrutiny of everyone else attending the ball, watching her every move as their future queen.

After searching for Nicole most of the night, Waverly decided to give up. She walked over to a small table across the room and grabbed a drink, finishing it almost immediately. Jeremy saw her and approached the table, asking her to dance. Before Waverly could object, Jeremy had pulled her into the middle of the room where other patrons were doing some rendition of the waltz. The song began and Jeremy pulled her close, Waverly’s eyes once again shifting to search the room for Nicole.

Still nothing.

“At least try to look like you’re having a good time,” Jeremy said through a wide, clearly forced, smile.

“Hm? I’m sorry, what was that?” Waverly shook her head and focused on the king.

“I said, at least try to look like you’re having a good time. Do you understand the amount of powerful and important people are currently watching us? I refuse to let you look miserable tonight.”

“I’m sorry, Jeremy, but this is a lot harder than I anticipated it would be. Cut me some slack,” Waverly snapped, though the fake smile she now bore took the sting out of her words slightly.

“This is about Nicole, I know. And I’m sorry it had to come down to this, but you came here for my help and this is what’s best for both of our kingdoms,” Jeremy replied. “As future queen, you know you have to put the welfare of your kingdom first. It’s the first thing I learned as king here.”

The more he talked, the more Waverly began to believe Jeremy actually wanted them to get married. The more he explained, the less she saw a desire to be with Robin, and the less she saw a way out of this horrible plan. Which was bad; he must have had someone talking in his ear.

“Jeremy…”

“Now, smile and enjoy yourself!”

Not long after their dance continued, there was a tap on Waverly’s shoulder. “May I cut in?”

Waverly turned to see Captain Doc standing behind her, hat in hand, and felt a sudden wave of relief overcome her. Jeremy tensed and she felt his palms become sweaty almost immediately.

“Sure thing,” Waverly said and took a step back, motioning to the king.

Before he began dancing with Jeremy in what would be the most awkward waltz the kingdom of Black Badge had ever seen, Doc leaned close to Waverly and whispered, “She’s in the hallway.”

\- - - - -

Waverly managed to leave the ballroom with only a few people stopping her to talk or congratulate her on the engagement. Each person who stopped her was just another minute to find Nicole wasted. She needed to find her, and she needed to find her now. Politely excusing herself from the conversation she was currently holding with a nice farmer and his wife, Waverly quickly made her way into the hall where Doc said Nicole would be.

She saw her at the end of the hallway, sitting on a bench in front of a large window. The moonlight fell upon her pale skin and Waverly couldn’t help but think of how beautiful she looked.

Nicole wore a black tunic with a leather belt around her center, and a pair of olive green pants with black boots. It was simple, yet elegant and screamed Nicole. The dark colors highlighted her fiery red hair and pale skin and all Waverly found herself thinking was how now would have been that perfect moment Nicole was talking about before.

The perfect moment for their first kiss.

She sat down next to her on the bench and stayed silent for a few minutes.

“Nicole, Iー”

“No, Waverly, let me talk,” Nicole took a deep breath and Waverly braced herself for what she knew she was about to say. “I thought we had something, I truly did. I bought into this fantasy of falling for a princess and eventually becoming  _ her _ princess. All girls believe it at some point, finding their knight in shining armor or their prince that they just know they want to marry.”

“But for me?” She continued. “For me it was almost...a reality. I know the laws, but for some strange reason I really thought we were going to beat the odds and that this was going to be different. It was my mistake, I did this to myself, and for that I want to say I’m sorry.”

Waverly saw a few tears roll down Nicole’s cheeks and she knew anyone within a reasonable distance could hear her heart shattering.

Nicole quickly wiped the tears away and continued.

“You’re going to take down Bulshar and the Widows, and you’ll be married to King Jeremy. You’re going to have the perfect wedding you’ve always dreamed of, and the perfect husband. It’ll be everything anyone could ever want and you’ll be happy. And that, above all else, is what matters.”

Nicole stood up and began walking away, leaving Waverly on the bench watching her retreating form. When the darkness had consumed Nicole, Waverly let her impulses take over and took off after her. She grabbed Nicole by the arm and pulled their bodies close, crashing their lips together.

Waverly had expected Nicole to pull away and slap her across the face, but instead she kissed her back. The last thing Waverly wanted in that moment, the last thing she ever wanted, was to let go. She wrapped her arms around Nicole’s neck and pulled her even closer as Nicole’s hands fell gently to her waist, and they both knew that there was no stopping this kiss.

She couldn’t do it. Nicole couldn’t do it.

Neither had the strength to pull away, knowing that this would be their first and last kiss.

The perfect moment had finally come, but it had come too late.

\- - - - -

“So you’re the great Captain Holliday I’ve heard so much about,” Jeremy chuckled and continued to awkwardly dance with the older man.

“I must say I’m flattered that you’ve heard of me,” Doc winked.

“Must I warn the navy of your presence here?” Jeremy questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“Now, Jeremy, I only go after Bulshar and his army. Not such kind royalty as yourself.”

“Lucky me, then!” Jeremy laughed nervously and took a step back.

“Might I ask you a question?” Doc implored.

“I shall tell you anything you want, dear captain,” Jeremy wiped his sweaty palms on his shirt.

Doc’s face grew stern as he took a step toward Jeremy and lowered his voice. “Why did you ask for a marriage alliance?”

“E-excuse me?”

“You heard me, boy. Why did you ask Waverly to marry you by giving her an ultimatum?”

Jeremy thought for a moment before answering, seeing as he needed to choose his words wisely. “It seemed like the right thing to do,” he stated simply.

Doc noticed Jeremy didn’t seem as enthusiastic about the announcement as he had earlier in the day.

“Looks like you are the perfect king, then. Doing what’s right and so on.”

“Oh well I wouldn’t say  _ perfect _ necessarily. I’m only doing the best I can to be the person my parents would have wanted me to be.”

“But, Jeremy, is that who  _ you _ want to be? The person your parents wanted?”

Jeremy hesitated again. Doc hid a smirk behind his mustache, knowing he had struck gold. The king was beginning to question the alliance.

“Of course it is!” Jeremy exclaimed suddenly.

Doc raised an unconvinced eyebrow.

“And I’m just so sure  _ your _ parents dreamed of their tall and gorgeous son growing up to be the captain of a pirate ship!” Jeremy defended.

“Perhaps they did, you know nothing of my family.”

“Yes, because every parent dreams of seeing their child grow up to be a nasty pirate. What a wonderful life you must have with your mustache and your cowboy hat and your...somewhat attractive crew. Being what your parents wanted you to be must be wonderful.”

“And being the sole ruler of the kingdom isn’t wonderful?” Doc spat. “Do not forget the fact that you are about to be married off to Waverly while being confused about who you are deep down,” he shoved a finger against Jeremy’s chest. “And I mean deep  _ deep _ down, who you are denying yourself to be.”

“Whaー”

“So yeah, your life must suck, Jeremy. But what do I know? I’m just some dissapointment and a dumb pirate.”

Before Jerermy could reply, the song ended and the captain turned to leave without another word. Jeremy stood there, dumbfounded, and watched the man leave the room.

He had never felt more confused in his life.

\- - - - -

_ “Jeremy, my brilliant son,” his father opened his arms and four-year old Jeremy ran into them, welcoming the strong embrace. “How are you today? How was class?” _

_ “Fun! We learned about potions and magic and sorcerers!” Jeremy beamed. _

_ “Well that sure does sound interesting!” His father laughed and knelt down so that he was level with his son. “Now, Jeremy, there’s something else I need you to learn right now, okay?” _

_ “What is it, father?” _

_ “I want you to understand that you may marry whomever you want to marry, so long as you love them.” _

_ The little boy thought about what his father had just said before smiling. “I love mother, does that mean we’re going to get married?” _

_ His father’s laugh bellowed throughout the empty courtyard. _

_ “No, my son, you will have to marry someone of your own age.” _

_ “What are you boys up to out here all alone?” The queen walked down the steps to the courtyard holding her stomach. _

_ “Mother!” Jeremy yelled and ran over to his mother, hugging her legs. _

_ “How are you feeling today?” The king asked as he stood up. _

_ “Better than yesterday,” she replied with a smile. “The baby has been kicking a lot, that’s all.” _

_ “Do you need rest? I can take Jeremy out if you would like some more rest.” _

_ “Don’t be silly, Elijah. I’m fine,” the queen smiled. “I’d like to take my son on a walk, if that’s okay with you, Jeremy?” _

_ The boy nodded and cling to his mother when she picked him up. As they walked away, Jeremy waved to his father who returned the gesture with a bright smile. The queen walked toward the castle fountain, a beautiful monument given to their kingdom from the neighboring territory of Calgary. Water spouted from gold plated cement, cascading down into the vast pool below. Jeremy was mesmerized by the water and almost didn’t hear his mother begin speaking to him. _

_ “Jeremy, my darling prince, I need you to know that if you end up having a baby sister, your father and I will still love you very much.” _

_ “When is my sister getting here, mother?” _

_ “Soon, Jeremy. Very soon. But just know that you will still be very important to us either way. And one day, my little dragon, you will be old enough to marry a nice young woman.” _

_ Jeremy made a face and the queen giggled. _

_ “I just need you to know one other thing. Regardless of if you have a baby brother or sister, I promise you can marry whomever you want to marry, so long as you choose wisely.” _

_ “Mother, what does wisely mean?” _

_ “It means that you’ve got to use that big brain of yours and be smart,” the queen kissed the top of Jeremy’s head, causing him to giggle. “Jeremy, my sweet, choose a partner who loves you. If you don’t, you will be miserable. And we wouldn’t want that.” _

_ The queen set Jeremy down and he took her hand as they started to make their way back inside the castle. _

_ “I don’t care if he is of royal blood or not, marry somebody you truly love. I want my baby boy to be happy.” _

_ “I’m not a baby, momma!” Jeremy protested with a giggle. “The baby is right there!” He pointed to his mother’s stomach and the two burst into laughter _

\- - - - -

Jeremy woke with a start, the sound of his mother’s laughter echoing in his head. The air around him felt heavy and he hung his head, knowing that his parents wouldn’t approve of his forced marriage alliance with Waverly just because she had power. His intentions were harmless, and in the end they would both end up with the ones whom they truly desired, but there was something about the whole situation that didn’t sit right with him.

Jeremy knew it wasn’t the right thing to do, that there were other deals he could strike with Waverly and her kingdom in exchange for his military power. He knew Waverly really liked Nicole, and that Robin was definitely his type. He had created a shit situation for himself and pulled an innocent princess into his mess. Maybe he could call it all off in the morning, but keep the news a secret so as to not alarm his people and raise any unnecessary questions.

His sexuality had long since been locked in a closet deep underground, and the last thing he needed was to have his court and the rest of his kingdom finding out how he truly felt in such dire times.

Knowing he had a long and sleepless night ahead of him, Jeremy grabbed his robe and made his way out into the castle garden. He slowly approached the fountain, sitting on the edge and letting the water drip onto his hand. He closed his eyes and conjured up the image of his mother, smiling as the warm summer breeze hit his face. If he tried hard enough, it was almost like she was sitting right there with him.

Tears streamed down his cheeks as he thought about how he would give anything to see his mother again, to talk to her and ask for her advice. He would give anything to spend just one more day with his parents, but he knew that was impossible. Bulshar and his army hijacked their carriage and ripped them from his life forever. Knowing he was alone, and not knowing what to do, Jeremy covered his face and cried.

\- - - - -

Throughout the week, while Jeremy’s army was preparing for its deployment to Purgatory, Waverly and the rest of their group were told to stay at the castle.

And to her, the week was about as normal and as long as it could possibly get.

The captain had spent most of the week surprisingly sober and was often seen talking to Dolls or attempting to flirt with Wynonna when the two were alone. Robin had taken a liking to Jeremy fairly quickly and followed him around, helping with day-to-day tasks the king had to do. Every once in a while, Waverly would glance their way and find the two flirting, bringing a smile to her face. If she had actual feelings for the king, she’d have knocked some sense into the pirate by now.

Fortunately for Robin, Waverly was falling more in love with Nicole as each day passed. She assumed everyone knew, seeing as they’d been caught sneaking around together a handful of times, but no one said anything if they did. Spending quality time alone with Nicole made Waverly feel happier than she had ever been, learning things about the redhead she never expected to know. She could easily see herself spending forever with Nicole. The only thing keeping that from happening was this stupid wedding, which Waverly was currently working on.

Waverly was confused by Wynonna’s current relationship with both Dolls and Doc as the two men seemed to be fighting for her attention, while Wynonna seemed to just enjoy the attention. It was strange to see her sitting smugly between Doc and Dolls at the nightly dinners Jerermy held for his “honored guests.” The two men were constantly bickering about morals and laws and Waverly was sure Wynonna was only leading them both on just for the drama.

They had been in Jeremy’s kingdom for ten days when word came that the Widows had forces landing on the other side of the island.

The news came while the seven were sitting in Jeremy’s meeting room. They were laughing and sharing stories, drinking whiskey and sitting by the fireplace. It was the first time any of them had felt a sense of normalcy since their arrival at Jeremy’s castle. The guard who brought the news burst through the large door, skidding to a stop inches from the carpet the group was seated around. He stood before them awkwardly, hands on his knees trying to catch his breath.

“Why are they coming here?” Jeremy finally spoke up. “I don’t understand, I thought  _ we _ were supposed to fight  _ there _ .”

“That was the plan, sir,” the guard replied after calming his breathing.

“Bulshar wants to cut you off and stop you before you have the chance to get to him,” Dolls said.

“That way, if he loses, he will still have his kingdom,” Doc spoke up. “And...if we lose, then he can gain control over Black Badge. It is a win-win situation for him.”

“Do you think Bulshar will come here himself?” Nicole asked.

“Of course he wouldn’t. Why would he?” Wynonna scoffed. “He’s got Waves’ kingdom to run,” she rolled her eyes and shot a sad look toward Waverly.

“He also hasn’t declared war either,” Chrissy spoke up. “I don’t think he would come unless it was absolutely necessary, right?”

“Right, so what do we do?” Waverly asked, looking to both Dolls and Jeremy.

“Should I send out an army to handle them?” Jeremy asked the guard. “How many of them are there?”

“My men say they have spotted around fifteen or twenty of them,” the guard replied.

“Why such a small number?”

“It’s most likely a team sent to search the island,” Dolls said. “How big would you say Bulshar’s forces are, Waverly? You’ve gotten a pretty good look at his numbers.”

“They’re...big,” Waverly looked down at the almost-empty glass in her hands, avoiding eye contact with everyone. She still remembered the night of the castle raid like it was yesterday.

“And they’ve been growing over the years,” Wynonna added quietly, recalling her time as a prisoner beneath the castle.

“Something isn’t making sense. If his army is so big then why is he only sending twenty people?” Chrissy asked. “Wouldn’t it make a lot more sense to send  _ more _ than that?”

“It would,” Nicole started.

“If you knew where your targets were,” Waverly continued.

“He doesn’t know where we are, or how many of us there really are, so he’s sending out teams to track us down.”

“So when we’re found, he can declare war on whichever kingdom is giving us refuge,” Waverly finished looking at Jeremy.

“And at that point...the whole army would come,” Dolls added.

“We need to intercept them and stop those bastards,” Wynonna chimed in. “It only makes sense, right? Think about it. We don’t even need to involve Chetri’s army.”

“That would be seen as an act of war,” Dolls said.

“Exactly, and we’d be feeding right into what Bulshar wants. If the seven of us gear up and go, we can take those sons of bitches by surprise, before they can even send word out! Who’s with me?” Wynonna shouted, leaping up from her spot on the couch.

“That’s...actually a really good idea,” Dolls said.

“I have to agree with Xavier for once. It’s a brilliant plan,” Doc added.

Jeremy stood up and placed his hands on his hips. “It’s settled then. Tomorrow morning, we head out there and stop those guys.”

The king headed over to his guard, presumably to attain the enemy’s location, as well as requesting access to supplies and other important information he could get.

As soon as the guard left, the seven began preparing for the morning’s mission. All of them knew what was at stake, but they also knew this was the first of many steps toward putting Waverly back on the throne of the Kingdom of Purgatory.


	12. Rivers pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So you want me to...flirt with Jeremy?” Robin raised an eyebrow.  
> “Yes. If he starts to like someone else...someone who isn’t me, like you, he’ll realize his mistakes and call the wedding off.”  
> “And why can’t you just tell him you don’t want to marry him?”  
> “I made a deal with him, a promise to marry him. I don’t want to break that promise...but if he happened to change his mind...” Waverly trailed off.  
> “Then you get off scotch-free. I see.” Robin nodded and stroked his chin in mock contemplation.  
> “And that way, we’d still have the help of his army.”  
> “Now that’s what I call a win-win-win.”  
> “I’m pretty sure it’s just two wins, Robin.”  
> Robin shook his head and smiled. “Two wins for you, and one for me. Assuming I get Jeremy in the end.”  
> “I don’t doubt that you will.” Waverly grinned. “So do we have a deal?”  
> “You betcha, princess.” Robin winked and shook Waverly’s hand.

The first night after leaving the castle, Waverly found herself even more restless than she’d been while staying in the castle. The marriage alliance was still weighing heavily on her mind and heart and she had run through every possible thing she could do to end it, but none of them were things she truly wanted to do. It was still clear as day that she and Jeremy weren’t compatible, and that the king knew they weren’t actually going to stay married, but the whole thing still didn’t sit right with her. She was hurting Nicole and she hated it, even if the redhead said it was fine.

Giving up on sleep for the night, Waverly went to sit by the dwindling campfire. Summer nights were still falling to colder temperatures, so she added a few more twigs to reignite the flame for a few minutes to warm her hands. Robin appeared from his tent and silently sat down next to Waverly. The two stayed quiet, staring at the fire and warming their hands, both thinking about Jeremy, but not in the same way. Waverly had noticed the conflict in Robin’s eyes. She saw the confusion written on his face and the pain he was surely suppressing, just like her. An ember popped from beneath the pile of sticks, causing the two to jump. They looked at each other and grinned, trying not to laugh and wake their friends.

It was in then that a lightbulb went off in Waverly’s head. She had a plan. Without revealing the specifics of the marriage alliance that Jeremy told her to keep secret, Waverly relayed her plan to Robin and hoped he would be on board.

“So you want me to...flirt with Jeremy?” Robin raised an eyebrow.

“Yes. If he starts to like someone else...someone who isn’t me, like  _ you _ , he’ll realize his mistakes and call the wedding off.”

“And why can’t you just tell him you don’t want to marry him?”

“I made a deal with him, a promise to marry him. I don’t want to break that promise...but if he happened to change his mind...” Waverly trailed off.

“Then you get off scotch-free. I see.” Robin nodded and stroked his chin in mock contemplation.

“And that way, we’d still have the help of his army.”

“Now that’s what I call a win-win-win.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s just two wins, Robin.”

Robin shook his head and smiled. “Two wins for you, and one for me. Assuming I get Jeremy in the end.”

“I don’t doubt that you will.” Waverly grinned. “So do we have a deal?”

“You betcha, princess.” Robin winked and shook Waverly’s hand.

\- - - - -

The guard who had delivered the news about the Widows’ soldiers making landfall on the island had informed Jeremy and the rest of the group that their trip would take four or five days. They packed light and left as soon as they could. Jeremy assured his new friends that their trek across the island would be smooth sailing, and it was.

Until the second day.

They had been walking for most of the day, only stopping for a short lunch break per Wynonna’s request which was more of a complaint than anything else. Dolls and Wynonna were at the forefront of the group with Doc trailing slightly behind them, hand on his belt and eyes glaring daggers into the soldier’s back. Dolls was wearing the armor he had been wearing when Wynonna first found him in the village and he used the sword he bought to clear a path as they walked.

Jeremy and Robin were walking behind the trio, the king’s guard who refused to leave his side on this mission following closely behind them. Jeremy wore simple civilian clothes with his sword hanging by his side while Robin had been given some of the royal armor from Jeremy’s army. The two men spent most of the day arguing about the family crest printed in vibrant red on the chestplate, Robin claiming a dragon was too commonly used in royal fleets. Jeremy only continued arguing with the pirate because he simply enjoyed the banter.

Waverly and Nicole trailed behind the group, holding hands and whispering quietly to each other. After they began their trip into the forest, Waverly watched as Jeremy started growing closer to Robin. Her plan was slowly working, and she couldn’t be happier. If she could have Jeremy convinced to cancel their marriage agreement before their wedding then they would both be happier. With his stubborn attitude and royal court controlling him like a puppet, Waverly feared she might have to sacrifice her happiness for the greater good, but she realized that there was a way around the laws keeping both of them from being with Nicole and Robin.

There were always loopholes.

Waverly found herself smiling for the first time in days, feeling happier than she had in a very long time. That was, until she heard Wynonna shriek and Dolls call after her. Waverly rushed to the front of the group and saw tracks in the wet grass leading down a slope and into a running river below. Wynonna must have tripped and fell into the water, and no one had the chance to catch her.

Doc and Dolls shared a quick glance, knowing what needed to be done.

Dolls quickly stripped his armor off, followed by his boots and shirt. He dove headfirst into the fast-moving river current while Doc ran along the side of the bank, trying to get in front of Wynonna. Dolls surfaced and saw her drifting downstream fast.

“She is over there! Hurry!” Doc yelled over the rushing water, trying to keep his pace.

Wynonna may be a lot of things, but Waverly would never call her stupid. She didn’t pay much attention to her surroundings, but when she needed to she would use her resources to her advantage. She was currently trying to hang onto the wet rocks sticking above the surface, screaming for help every chance she got. Doc got near and she tried reaching out to him, but he was too far away. Doc could see Dolls trying his best to swim against the current in order to catch up, but he was struggling to keep a steady pace.

“Doc!” The captain turned to see Waverly and Chrissy waving their arms and pointing behind him. “There’s a waterfall!”

Doc looked behind him and his face paled instantly when he saw the large waterfall Wynonna and Dolls were headed for. He gauged they had no more than a minute to save Wynonna before she let go and went over the edge. Doc unbuckled his belt and let his pistols fall to the ground, throwing his hat to the ground next to them as he ran to the edge of the cliff, where the waterfall was located. He used the sword still sheathed at his hip to chop away at the wood of a branch from a nearby tree. He kept glancing back at Dolls and Wynonna, seeing the soldier was now within reach of Wynonna and was trying to grab onto her.

Doc cut the branch free and immediately lifted it to place it just above the water so Wynonna and Dolls could grab it. Wynonna had her back turned to the branch, so Dolls reached out, grabbed her arm, and turned her around just in time to crash into the branch so hard Doc almost lost his grip on it.

Wynonna went under the water and Dolls immediately went under and resurfaced moments later with his arm around her middle. Doc thought Wynonna looked unconscious but he decided not to worry until they were back on stable land.

Dolls held Wynonna with his right arm and grabbed onto Doc’s hand with his left. Nicole and Waverly ran over and helped take Wynonna from Dolls’ grasp and Doc helped him climb out of the water. Jeremy and Robin jogged after them with Dolls’ armor and Doc’s pistols in their hands. Once Dolls was on the grass, Doc let the branch go and the group watched as it crashed down below the waterfall. The two men sat on the grass, breathing heavily. Dolls stared up at the trees towering above them and let a loud laugh escape his mouth.

Doc glanced down at the soldier and couldn’t help himself from laughing as well. It was strange, Waverly thought, to see them laughing as she supported most of her dazed sister’s weight in her arms. Dolls sat up and looked at Nicole and Waverly.

“Did you guys see that?!” He exclaimed. “That was...that was amazing!”

“Amazing? You both nearly died!” Waverly replied.

“We saved her, did we not?” Doc asked.

“That isn’t the point, John Henry.” Nicole rolled her eyes. “Now come help us.”

Waverly guided Wynonna over to a large tree and sat her down slowly with Nicole’s help. She was conscious, but barely. Her entire body was shivering from the cold water, but Nicole assessed the rest of her body and concluded she was mostly fine otherwise. Waverly knelt next to Wynonna and took the cloak from around her shoulders, wrapping it around Wynonna.

Nicole walked back over to Dolls and Doc, seeing the soldier had passed out. She knelt down and looked at Dolls’ ankle, assessing it. Nicole didn’t know much about the anatomy of mortals and how things should work, but she knew that ankle wasn’t supposed to look like that.

“It’s twisted.” she said to Doc. “How do we fix it?”

“Well, we untwist it of course.” Doc spat off, but Nicole ignored him.

“I’m going to try to pop it back into place. It’s going to be very painful for him.”

“Good thing he’s passed out then, right?” Doc asked Nicole.

“I assume so, yes.” She positioned herself so that she could grip Dolls’ ankle comfortably. “Someone should put a shirt or some cloth in his mouth so that if he wakes up, he won’t scream.”

Without a second thought, Chrissy did as Nicole suggested.

“Okay, on three. One...two...three…” Nicole twisted Dolls’ ankle and there was a disturbing  _ pop! _ followed by a loud  _ crack! _ that Nicole knew would haunt her dreams tonight.

Dolls remained unconscious for another ten minutes, but Wynonna managed to make her way over to him and didn’t leave his side until he woke. Doc stood by and watched over them both.

The group decided spending the night near the river was their best bet since they had two members in need of rest. Jeremy assured them that the moving water would help them keep their cover as long as they didn’t draw attention to their area in other ways. They quickly set up camp and everyone was asleep before the sun was even set.

\- - - - -

Rosita stepped off the boat and onto the docks, breathing in the fresh air. She had never been to Black Rock before, let alone anywhere outside of Purgatory really. She pulled her green cape closer to her and walked toward the city, examining her surroundings. Rosita saw the castle in the distance and wondered if Princess Waverly was there or not.

Tied to the belt around her waist was a small leather pouch. Inside the pouch was some money, the small journal she had stolen from Bulshar, and a written note. The queen had instructed Rosita to give it to the princess upon finding her, and that it was to only be read by her. Rosita had wondered what was in the letter, but she respected the queen’s wishes and refrained from peeking. She also knew Waverly would know if she had been snooping around her private things.

Rosita walked down the cobblestone streets and looked around, making sure she wasn’t drawing too much attention to herself. An hour or so into her trek, she reached the castle and immediately noticed that there was no royal flag flying.

That either meant one of two things:

Bulshar had already taken over Black Rock, or the king was not in the city.

She quickly dismissed the first thought due to the lack of soldiers, and knowing Bulshar would have just come himself instead of sending her there alone. Rosita assumed the king was not in town, which meant he had to be with the princess, hopefully headed back to Purgatory, but she knew that was wishful thinking.

Rosita continued on, for she had a strong feeling the princess was in Black Rock, and she needed to find him before Bulshar’s search team did.

\- - - - -

_ Lady Wynonna walked through the streets of Ghost River County, just outside of Purgatory. After buying himself and his family a royal title, her father had relocated the family to Ghost River County in order to be closer to Purgatory and the royal family. _

_ Today, Lady Wynonna was moping around the streets, trying her best to blend in despite her wishes to not even be there. She had decided to take Waverly’s advice and listen to her tutor, so she was going to visit the one people called the Blacksmith to find a new book to read. Her reading comprehension skills were far from perfect, but Wynonna truly did want to get better. _

_ She walked through the streets, blending in seamlessly with the villagers. The last thing she wanted other than to be there was to draw unwanted attention to herself. It was hard to not attract a few stairs when she was wearing such a stupidly elegant dress. Wynonna could feel the stares of the people around her, causing her to walk faster. _

_ Lady Wynonna unconsciously searched the crowd for a friendly face, not someone she necessarily knew, but someone who would smile at her rather than glare. _

_ Just outside the Blacksmith’s shop, Wynonna noticed two young women preparing to ignite the street lamps just outside the building. The younger of the two, a girl no older than sixteen, lit the end of a wooden stick and set the oil on fire inside of the lamp. Wynonna watched as the girl’s face lit up in excitement upon seeing the flame and chose to smile at the other woman. _

_ The other girl, a woman no older than herself, with tan skin and dark hair, walked over to the door and opened it for Wynonna when she reached it. _

_ “Oh...thank you.” Wynonna said, slightly taken aback. “You’re too kind.” _

_ “Any customer of ours is a friend.” The woman smiled. “My sister, the one you seek, is inside just behind the counter. She will give you everything you need.” _

_ “O-kay.” Wynonna replied slowly before nodding and entering the building. _

_ Upon entering the shop, Wynonna noticed the counter the woman from outside had mentioned, but there was no one else in sight. Wynonna sighed and rolled her eyes, deciding to take it upon herself to look around, and studied some of the things hanging on the walls. Crowbars, poaching sticks, hammars, skulls. It both confused and excited her. _

_ “Looking for something?” A voice asked from behind Wynonna, causing her to jump. _

_ “Shit,” Wynonna hissed, “what the hell man? Wear a bell or something.” _

_ “The name is Greta Perley, but most people know me as the Blacksmith.” Greta introduced herself with hand gestures. _

_ “Why do they call you the Blacksmith?” _

_ “I make things, I cast spells, I give you knowledge.” Greta shrugged. “Now, how can I help you?” _

_ “I’m just looking...for a book.” _

_ Greta stared Wynonna down for a moment before smiling and taking her gloves off. In one quick gesture, Greta had already turned Wynonna out and knew exactly what she was in need of. It might not be relevant now, but it soon would be. _

_ “Follow me, I have just what you need.” Greta led Wynonna to another room that was adorned with weapons and spell books of all kinds. She stopped in front of a large bookshelf and grabbed a small, old journal from the top. _

_ Wynonna took the book and stared at it, opening it and skimming the pages. She couldn’t read very well, but there was one passage that immediately caught her attention. _

“...the uninhabited island is home to an ancient garden. During ancient times, natives of surrounding islands would use this garden on the night of the Blood Moon to sacrifice humans to appease the gods. A guardian would be chosen at the end of the ceremony to stay at the gates of the garden for a year, preparing it for next celebration…”

_ Wynonna had never heard of this ancient garden or the island on which it seemed to be located according to the book, but she felt as if that information was important for her to know. After the sun had set, Greta informed Wynonna the shop was closing. _

_ “How much is this?” Wynonna asked, holding the book up. _

_ “Oh that? Not for sale.” Greta grinned. _

_ “But-” _

_ “Not. For. Sale.” Greta repeated. _

_ “Fine, damn.” Wynonna mumbled and rolled her eyes. She handed the book back to the Blacksmith and was soon after ushered out of the building. She waved goodbye to the two girls she saw upon entering and made her way back home. Her head was swimming with thoughts about this garden and the island called Eden and what it could all mean. She was so consumed with her thoughts that she didn’t even see two of the Widows’ guards following her. _

_ Three days later, she was taken prisoner by Bulshar. _

\- - - - -

Wynonna awoke with a start. For whatever reason, she knew that book would be important. She knew the Blacksmith gave it to her for a reason, and why she refused to sell it. It was dangerous and contained information Bulshar might need. She made a mental note to commit that dream to memory, even if she didn’t entirely know what it all meant.  _ Maybe Nicole will know. _

For the rest of the night, Wynonna leaned against a tree with her hand resting on top of one of Dolls’. She couldn’t sleep and surveyed their camp to make sure they were safe. She saw Waverly leaning against a log by the dying fire they had built earlier. Nicole’s head was in her lap and Waverly’s hand was resting on Nicole’s forehead. Smiling to herself, Wynonna shook her head and leaned her head back against the tree.

_ An ancient garden, on an uninhabited island… _ Wynonna searched harder in her memory, knowing she was forgetting something big. For some reason, this book was extremely important.

_ Ancient garden used for...for human sacrifices once every two years...on an uninhabited island… _

What was she forgetting? There had to be something she read in the book. Something she might not have understood but was still important. It was tugging at her mind, on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t place her finger on it.

Then it hit her.


	13. Rivers pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Bread?” He offered with a full mouth, holding half a loaf out toward the soldier.
> 
> “No thanks, not hungry.” Dolls replied with a stiff smile and turned to face the river.
> 
> “She’ll be fine, Xavier. They all will. Don’t worry about her.”
> 
> “How do you know?”
> 
> “Because she has Waverly and Doc with her. They’re both extremely good at fighting and neither would ever let anything happen to her. They’d die before they would.”
> 
> “I should be out there.”
> 
> “No, you shouldn’t. Your leg’s all screwed up, silly. You can’t even stand up.”
> 
> Dolls knew he didn’t have a reply to the comment that jabbed him as an insult, so he kept quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been WAY TOO LONG since I last updated this story and I'm honestly really sorry about that! But I finally managed to find my muse and crank out almost 4.5k words for y'all! As always, I hope you enjoy and please don't forget to drop a kudos or comment! Your feedback means a lot to me!

Wynonna remembered two things in that moment.

In Greta’s book, there was mention of three steps to unleashing the evil spirit within the ancient garden. The spirit was under the control of whomever awoke it, giving them ultimate power. The ancient people would use this spirit against their enemies, neighboring kingdoms trying to invade the garden and harness its magic. In the later centuries of the ancient peoples’ civilization, a priest named Juan Carlos wrote down the three steps in a journal...which brought Wynonna to the second thing she remembered.

She was almost positive Bulshar had that journal.

Wynonna shifted uncomfortably and leaned her head back against the tree behind her. She needed to relay what she knew to Waverly, or at least someone else who would actually know what it meant. She felt Dolls move on the ground next to her and sit up.

“Earp? Why are you still awake? It’s the middle of the night.” He leaned against the tree next to her.

“I had a really crazy dream and...it got me thinking.” Wynonna collected her thoughts before continuing. “What if Purgatory was just the beginning for Bulshar and the Widows?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if he had world domination in mind?”

“What makes you think that?” Dolls raised an eyebrow.

“Just thinking, I guess.” Wynonna shrugged. “It’s stupid, I know.”

“It’s not stupid.” Dolls reassured her by placing his hand on top of hers. “What is it? You can tell me.”

Wynonna told him about her dream and everything she remembered from the book, even the parts she didn’t fully understand. Dolls’ gaze moved to the ground between them, his brows knit in deep thought.

“What do you think it all means?” He asked after a moment.

“I need to talk to Waverly about it. She might understand more than I do. I don’t know why, but I  _ know _ Bulshar stole that journal from Greta. And I’m next to positive he still has it, considering it actually exists.” She paused before continuing. “Dolls, if what that book says is true, we’re all fucked.”

Dolls squeezed Wynonna’s hand and smiled at her.

“We’ll figure everything out. Don’t worry.”

\- - - - -

The following morning didn’t treat them much better than the day before. The king’s bodyguard and Chrissy were the first two awake and together they went back down to the river to get water for the group. They were filling up their canteens when they heard them. There was the sound of conversation coming from the other side of the river and it took everything out of her to stay quiet. She turned toward the bodyguard and pointed back toward camp, signaling they needed to turn around and head back. The guard nodded and took a step back, the sound of a twig snapping beneath his foot causing them both to freeze and the chattering across the river to stop abruptly.

“You hear that?” One of the soldiers asked.

“What did you hear?”

“There’s somebody out there.”

Chrissy could see from her spot behind the bush she and the guard were hiding behind, and saw the soldier point in their direction.

“Well, what are you going to do about it?”

“We have to at least check it out. I mean, what if it’s them? I don’t want to be the one who loses my head when telling the Widows we didn’t actually search the whole island!”

“How do we cross the river, then? It’s too deep and the current is too fast. Not to mention there’s no bridge.”

A silence fell over the area, the only noise coming from the running water of the river. It was very unsettling to Chrissy.

Without warning, two arrows were fired in their direction. One of them landed at Chrissy’s feet, and she clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her screams as the other impaled the royal guard in the chest. He fell to the ground with a thud, blood spilling from the wound and mingling with the grass. Without further hesitation, Chrissy turned on her heels and ran back to camp.

“Uh, guys? You might wanna wake up! We’ve got company!” She whisper-yelled, hoping at least one of them heard her.

“Hm? ‘hat’s goin’ on?” A groggy Captain Holliday asked.

“A search team is on the other side of the river and just shot an arrow at me and…” Her voice trailed off, looking at Jeremy who understood.

“What do we do, now?” The king asked.

“Well it’s pretty obvious, ain’t it? We need to get our cabooses up and running! Unless you lot feel like dying today.” Doc spat off.

“No, we came here to fight the search team off. We were supposed to take them by surprise, but since they’ve already found us, we need to fight.” Waverly stood, gripping her sword tightly in front of her. “Who’s with me?”

\- - - - -

Wynonna, Waverly, and Doc hastily, and quietly, made their way through the trees and up the river. Upon reaching the riverbank, they found Jeremy’s bodyguard lying on the ground, arrow still sticking out of his chest.

“Based on the direction of the arrow, I’d say it would have come from up there.” Doc pointed to the top of the hill on the other side of the river.

“How many do you think we’ll be up against, princess?” Wynonna whispered.

“I have no clue. Let’s go find out.” Waverly searched the river for any possible way they could cross it, but she came up short with nothing. The current was still too strong and it was too wide to jump across.

She heard the sound of a break breaking behind them and Waverly whipped around to see Wynonna struggling to hold up a large branch.

“She seems to be a lot better at this than you.” Doc nudged Waverly before going to help Wynonna carry the extra large branch toward the river.

“How are we going to do this, Waves?” Wynonna asked.

“You don’t have a plan?”

“Oh, I have a plan. It’s a bad plan, but I have a plan. I was really hoping you would come up with a better one. You  _ are _ the leader, after all.”

“I am not–”

“Don’t give me that ‘I’m not a leader’ crap!” Wynonna held up her end of the branch toward Waverly’s face and glared at her. “I will use this!”

Waverly sized up the branch, then looked out at the river. Instantly, a plan formed in her head.

\- - - - -

Dolls, Jeremy, Nicole, Robin, and Chrissy anxiously sat around their camp in silence, none of them knowing what to say or do and fearing that any sound they made would attract unwanted attention. Chrissy seemed particularly on edge, still not over the initial shock that came from watching a royal guard be killed right after an attempt on her own life. Nicole did her best to comfort her, but she couldn’t tell if it was helping or not.

Dolls tried to talk Waverly into letting him go with them, but he and everyone else knew he was in no position to do so. Waverly had made the proposition that, if he could stand on his own, he could go with them. But upon standing, he stumbled and fell, so now he was stuck here waiting for the three to return.

He leaned against the tree with the leg with the twisted ankle out straight, and the other bent at the knee. He was worried about Wynonna, even though he was well aware she could take care of herself and kick some major ass if necessary. She had taken his sword, seeing as she had no other weapons and both Doc and Waverly were armed. He had hoped it would be enough, but he knew the forces they were up against and feared the worst.

Jeremy sat down next to him, bringing him out of his thoughts.

“Bread?” He offered with a full mouth, holding half a loaf out toward the soldier.

“No thanks, not hungry.” Dolls replied with a stiff smile and turned to face the river.

“She’ll be fine, Xavier. They all will. Don’t worry about her.”

“How do you know?”

“Because she has Waverly and Doc with her. They’re both extremely good at fighting and neither would ever let anything happen to her. They’d die before they would.”

“I should be out there.”

“No, you shouldn’t. Your leg’s all screwed up, silly. You can’t even stand up.”

Dolls knew he didn’t have a reply to the comment that jabbed him as an insult, so he kept quiet.

\- - - - -

Waverly held onto the branch with her right arm and inched her way across the river. Wynonna and the captain were holding the other end steady on the other side of the river so that Waverly could cross with ease. The branch didn’t reach all the way across, but it was close enough.

When Waverly reached the end of the branch, she tied Doc’s belt around it, securing it in place and giving a few test tugs to ensure it was on there. She summoned whatever strength she had left and swam for the shore, against the current, with the other end of the belt in her hand. Once she was safe and out of the water, she gave a thumbs-up to Wynonna and tightened her grip on the belt, holding the branch to place.

The original plan, Wynonna’s plan, had been for Wynonna to walk across the top of the branch while Waverly and Doc held it steady, but they quickly decided against it. It took quite a bit of convincing on Wynonna’s part, as she saw no issue with putting herself in immediate danger  _ willingly _ . Wynonna got into the water and swam along the branch just as Waverly had, clutching the hilt of Dolls’ sword in her free hand.

Once she climbed out of the water and stood next to Waverly, they turned to the captain. Doc had warned he wasn’t the best of swimmers, an idea that seemed to baffle Waverly. A pirate who couldn’t swim? What if his ship sank?  _ I have bad lungs. _ He had told them. But they went along with the plan regardless. Doc dove into the water, surfacing a significant amount of time later. He gasped and flailed his arms around for a moment before grabbing for the branch with both hands. He inched his way along the branch until he was able to get out. Together, the three of them pulled the branch out of the river.

Doc turned around, dusted his hands off, and Waverly saw the color drain from his face.

Waverly and Wynonna exchanged a confused glance before slowly turning around. At the top of the hill, there were three soldiers: two with bows and arrows drawn, and one with a sword.

Bulshar’s search team had found them.

\- - - - -

Nicole and Robin were sitting on the ground with their backs pressed against a log. They were currently in an argument with Chrissy over weather or not baby carrots were the work of witches.

“I’m telling you, it’s all in the way they’re grown.” Robin commented.

“But how do you grow a baby carrot? Do you just let a normal carrot grow and yank it out of the ground early? It makes no sense, it’s clearly the magic of wizards and witches!”

“Okay, first of all,” Nicole held a finger up, “wizards don’t exist. They’re called sorcerers.”

“Potato, tomato.” Chrissy rolled her eyes and waved a dismissive hand.

“And second, baby carrots are  _ not _ the work of witches. I would know. I am one.”

“Yes, we know, you’re a gorgeous redhead with firehands and the ability to levitate.” Chrissy sighed.

“She only pointed out that she was a witch.” Robin responded, holding back a laugh.

“Yeah, never did I say anything about my hair or my looks.” Nicole chuckled.

“Okay, you know what?” Chrissy sat up from her place on the ground in time to see Jeremy approaching them. She cleared her throat. “Royalty alert.”

Nicole’s stomach did a summersault of emotion before sinking completely, realizing it was Jeremy that Chrissy was referring to and not Waverly. Robin, on the other hand, was on his feet in seconds.

“Nicole? May I speak with you?” He asked tentatively.

“Just me?” Nicole asked slowly.

Jeremy looked between the redhead and Robin, and then over to Chrissy. He sighed and shook his head.

“All...all of you?”

“That a question or a statement, your majesty?” Chrissy joked.

“I just...can I ask you a question?”

“You can ask us anything, Jeremy.” Nicole replied.

“Do you think the marriage alliance was a stupid idea?”

“Stupid? No. A bit ridiculous? Yes.” Chrissy answered causing Nicole to turn around and glare at her.

“I think it was an extremely smart move, strategically speaking.” Robin spoke up and continued when he saw a frown grow on the king’s face. “Think of it like this...you’ll be the king of not only Black Rock, but also Purgatory. Your legacy will live on for centuries. You’ll have all of the finest things, and the largest and strongest armies. Nobody will be able to challenge your rule.”

“Oh.”

“That’s not what you wanted to hear, is it?”

“No...not really.” Jeremy shook his head.

“Are you having doubts?” Nicole asked suddenly.

Jeremy blinked at her before slowly nodding. “Yes.” He shook his head and groaned. “And no. It’s complicated.”

“You like Robin, don’t you?” Chrissy stepped up between Nicole and the pirate, smirk on her face.

“Perhaps.” Jeremy chanced a glance at Robin before finding comfort in Nicole’s eyes again.

“But the laws say you need to marry someone of royal blood, and someone of the opposite gender. So that leaves Waverly.”

“I’ve tried to challenge those laws here in Black Rock, but the council still hasn’t come to a decision.”

“So this really comes down to what you want more: love or security.” Nicole said.

She watched as Jerermy thought it over and let out a sigh.

“Okay, which would you rather? Marry Waverly and become the most powerful king the world has probably ever seen, or marry someone else, a pirate perhaps, and know that you’ll be happy forever?”

“If this were under different circumstances, I would choose happiness.”

“What other circumstances are there?”

“Robin is a pirate. Holliday and his crew, meaning Robin, aren’t foreigners to Black Rock. They’ve attacked before. And they’re the ones responsible for my parents mysteriously disappearing.”

“You said they disappeared when you were younger. I only just became part of his crew. Surely, that isn’t a real issue?” Robbin pleaded.

“Your name is associated with his. The only way it would work is if you leave his crew. Immediately.”

“I can’t do that...what if things don’t work out here? What then?”

Jeremy sighed. “If I follow through with the marriage alliance, I’ll forever be the man Waverly was forced to marry and no one will truly believe we’re happy. Because we won’t be, we’ll be miserable. But I can’t ask you to give up your life like that when there’s too much at risk. So, what I thought would be a win-win is turning out to be a lose-lose.”

\- - - - -

Doc saw they were at a standoff with the three soldiers atop the hill. They had the high ground, so Waverly knew they were already at a major disadvantage. If they even took one step, archers would fire and the three of them would be shot dead just like Jeremy’s guard.

“We just want to talk.” Waverly called out calmly. “There’s no need to shoot us.”

Waverly placed her sword on the ground and held her hands up to show the soldiers that they were empty, Wynonna and Doc doing the same.

Wynonna was concerned that the soldiers would recognize Waverly, which would ultimately be the worst case scenario. Bulshar would have her head by the end of the night. The words  _ “human sacrifice” _ came to mind and she shivered.

Fortunately for Waverly, she looked a lot older than she did four years ago. She had grown taller, chopped her hair off into a short bob, and had become skinnier than she was four years ago, sporting a lot of lean muscle. She still had the same brown hair and green eyes she had before, but a trait like that was a common occurrence. According to the story Waverly had told her, she had only come into contact with a few of Bulshar’s soldiers only on the night of the castle raid. She had never seen Bulshar in person, so how could these soldiers recognize her?

After all, she was pronounced dead four years ago.

The soldier wielding a sword descended the hill slowly, holding the weapon out as he approached them. He gave them a quick search and, upon finding nothing worth raising alarm about, he turned to the other two soldiers with a nod and they lowered their bows.

“Get up there.” The soldier pointed up the hill with the sword. Doc reached down for his pistols, but nearly lost his hands as the soldier swung in his direction. “No weapons.”

Wynonna walked up the hill first, with Waverly and Doc following close behind. The soldier picked up their weapons and brought up the rear of the group.

Upon reaching the top of the hill, Wynonna was relieved to see that there were only the three soldiers, no others. They had one medium-sized tent, three horses tied to a tree, and a small campfire going.

The two archers ushered them into the tent, where they sat on the ground. The archers sat before them while the other soldier stood at the tent’s entrance.

“State your names.” The first archer demanded.

“I’m Noelle, and this is my sister Emily,” Waverly nodded toward Wynonna, “and our friend Beau.” She nodded to Doc.

“And what business do the three of you have in these woods, Noelle?”

“We were out hunting.”

“With swords and...pistols?” The second archer looked at the pile of their weapons across the tent and snorted. “What a foolish idea.”

“You three clearly are not from around here.” Doc let out a laugh of his own, mocking the archer. “We do not use bows and arrows here as there are mostly only small animals to be hunted here. We are skilled in the arts of swordsmanship and gunslingin’. Those critters are fast and agile, and arrows would be a waste on them. We use these here weapons to gut them after we have trapped ‘em.”

The archers glanced at each other and Waverly realized they might have just blown their cover.

“So you’re natives?” The guard behind them asked.

“Yes. Born and raised here in Black Rock.” Waverly answered.

“Have you ever heard of a Princess Waverly of Purgatory?”

Wynonna hesitated before answering, pretending to be deep in thought. “Oh! I remember her! I heard she was the little princess killed in that raid when Bulshar and his spidey-wives took over! How long ago was that, Noelle?”

“I want to say maybe four or so years, Em.” Waverly answered.

“What does she have to do with us? I heard the las is dead!” Doc asked the archers.

“Word on the street’s that she isn’t.” The first archer eyed Waverly suspiciously and Wynonna held her breath.

“Allegedly, she’s escaped Purgatory and is seeking refuge here.” The second archer added.

“Is she now? Well this is the first I’ve heard of these rumors! I am always out of the loop of important things!” Doc threw his hands up in fake frustration.

“Why would she come here?” Wynonna asked, almost aggravated with how stupid they made Waverly sound (even if...they were telling the truth). “The King and the Widows would never want anything to do with an outlaw.”

“Let’s hope for your King’s sake that this is true.” The first archer said before the three soldiers left the tent.

“I have a plan for getting us out of here, just follow my lead.” Waverly whispered after the soldiers had left. Wynonna and Doc both nodded and looked at the soldiers when they returned. The three men stood in front of them.

“Looks like we’ll let you go this time, kids. But you mustn’t speak a word about our presence here on the island. The last thing we would want is for you three to be the reason Bulshar declares war on Black Rock.” The soldier with the sword said with a great deal of authority in his voice.

Wynonna almost snorted at his words. If only they knew that the Princess Waverly was sitting right in front of them.

“We promise, partner. May we exit now? We’re losing daylight.” Doc asked.

“Go. And don’t come back.” The first archer said firmly.

Waverly stood and ushered the other two out of the tent. The soldiers followed them, just as she’d hoped they would. Waverly spotted their weapons on the ground near the tent and told herself it was time.

She reached down, grabbed her sword, and blindly swung it at the archer directly behind her, slashing across his arm and stomach.

Wynonna ducked and grabbed for her sword and Doc’s pistols. Doc turned and punched the second archer in the jaw and let out a  _ yee haw! _ before moving on to the third soldier.

Waverly swung her sword at the second archer’s side, slicing it and sending blood flying, staining her shirt.

“Doc!” Wynonna screamed. The captain turned around and caught his belt that Wynonna had thrown at him.

Waverly distracted the soldier by challenging him to a duel. The fight went back and forth between the two and they were rapidly moving around the small campsite. Waverly could see out of the corner of her eye that Captain Holliday now had both of his pistols in hand and was making his way behind the soldier Waverly was currently fighting. Wynonna had gotten her hands on one of the bows, readying an arrow to fire.

Doc came up behind the soldier and swapped one of his pistols for a knife, holding the soldier in place with it at his throat.

“I would stay put if I were you.” the captain pulled the soldier closer to him. “I ain’t as forgivin’ as my friends are.”

“Let me go!” The soldier screamed and struggled against Doc’s hold.

“How many of you are there?” Waverly asked him.

The soldier spat at her and Waverly raised her voice. “HOW MANY?”

The soldier struggled for a few more seconds before giving in. “Six.”

“Where are they?” Wynonna demanded from behind Waverly. Waverly turned and saw her holding an arrow in place, ready to fire if he answered wrong.

“S-searching the island in groups of three! Like the rest of us!”

“Where on the island?” Waverly asked, stepping closer to the soldier.

“I don’t know.” The soldier spat off sarcastically. Waverly glanced at Doc who brought his pistol up to the side of the soldier’s head, cocking the hammer into place.

“I asked you a question, soldier. I think, for your own safety, you answer it.”

“One...one group headed toward the canyon caves.” He let out a sharp breath. “The others stayed at the beach.”

Waverly looked at Wynonna and pointed back to the river with her eyes.

“Who are you?” The soldier croaked out.

Waverly leaned in toward the soldier and lowered her voice, speaking through gritted teeth. “Bulshar’s worst nightmare.”

The captain lowered the pistol from the soldier’s head and used the handle to knock him out. Wynonna untied their horses to let them run free, seeing they couldn’t take them back to camp due to the river. With all three soldiers unconscious and wounded, Waverly, Wynonna, and Doc made their way back to their camp.

\- - - - -

Nicole thought she heard footsteps coming from the river’s direction and sat up. Waverly and the others had been gone for an extremely long time and she had started to worry.

Before she had the chance to worry mre, Waverly stepped into the dwindling firelight of their camp, soaking wet. Without thinking twice, Nicole ran over to her and wrapped her arms around her neck. Waverly dropped her sword and wrapped her arms around Nicole, squeezing her tight.

When Nicole let go and stepped back, she noticed the blood on Waverly’s shirt.  _ Oh no. She’s hurt. _ When she looked up at Waverly with a worried look, Waverly let out a small laugh.

“Not my blood.” She said leading Nicole over to the fire and sitting down.

Doc had already sat down on the opposite side of the fire and was bragging about their adventures to Jeremy and Robin, who both looked somewhat entertained by them. Chrissy helped Dolls stand and walk over to the fire so he could sit next to Wynonna.

Waverly shared the story of what had  _ really  _ happened and Nicole couldn’t have cared less about the details. She was just glad Waverly was alive and that the blood on her shirt wasn’t her own.

“So where do we go next?” Jeremy asked Waverly. Robin had tried to place his hand on Jeremy’s shoulder, but the king moved further away. He seemed extremely anxious to Nicole. Waverly had told her about the deal she made with Robin, and Nicole was now worried it wasn’t going to work.

“Which is closer? The canyon caves, or the beach?” Wynonna asked.

“Canyon caves.” Dolls and Waverly said in unison. Nicole felt like she was the only one to notice the color drain from Jeremy’s face.

“How did you two know that before the king over here? Shouldn’t he know more about his island than the two of you?” Chrissy questioned.

Waverly shrugged. “I actually paid attention to the geography lessons, unlike Wynonna.” She glanced at Wynonna and she threw her hands up in defeat.

“Hey! In my defense, I never thought I’d be trekking through the forests of Black Rock on the run from Bulshit, Bulshar.”

“So, how far away are we from these caves?” Nicole asked.

“I’d say about a day.” Dolls answered with a shrug. “It depends on how many more soldiers we run into.”

“Well, I think we’ve all earned ourselves a wonderful night’s sleep. We can worry about caves and soldiers and all of that nonsense in the morning.” Doc got up and walked over to where Chrissy left the food. “Right now, I say we eat! I’m starved. Someone didn’t allow me to eat breakfast before going off to fight.”

He gave Chrissy a cold stare, but it only brought on laughter. Tomorrow might bring them more horrors and injuries than the day before, but right now they were happy, and that’s all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come find me on twitter! @deputyydipshit


	14. I'm Not Left-Handed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You alright there, your highness?” Robin nudged Jeremy as they walked, bringing him out of his daydream.
> 
> “Hm? Oh, yes. I’m fine.” He smoothed out his shirt nervously.
> 
> “Are you sure? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
> 
> “I’m just nervous about the canyon caves...that’s all.”
> 
> “I wouldn’t be. They’re just some stupid caves. Nothing like the open sea. What could possibly be waiting there for us? A monster?” Robin erupted in laughter and Jeremy held back tears.
> 
> He had felt the same way when his brother had told him that story almost five years ago.
> 
> “Oh lighten up, Jere-Bear.” He nudged Jeremy again. “We’ll be fine.”
> 
> “I hope so.” He muttered under his breath.

_ Seventeen-year old Jeremy sat on his bed with a candle held closely to his face, the dancing flame casting eerie shadows across his face. Next to him on the bed was his thirteen-year old brother. It was a normal thing for the two of them to stay up late swapping ghost stories by candlelight, even if they terrified Jeremy. _

_ “And they never heard from him  _ ever _ again…” Jeremy finished in a deep voice, giving one last scary look. _

_ “You’ve told me that one before, Jere. Let me tell  _ you _ one!” His brother pleaded. “This one’s a true story!” _

_ “A scary story that actually happened?” Jeremy scoffed, unconvinced. “Now this I’ve got to hear.” _

_ He handed his brother the candle and he began… _

_ “Long ago there was a brave knight who fell in love with a princess. And in order to get her hand in marriage, the king ordered the knight to kill the monster that had been terrorizing the canyon caves and bring back one of its horns.” _

_ “Terrorizing, huh? That’s a big word, Thomas.” Jeremy joked. _

_ Thomas glared at Jeremy but continued. “Once he got there, he found that the monster was a fire-breathing horned dragon. The monster tried to burn him with his fiery breath many times, but the knight was smarter than his usual opponent. He climbed the walls of the canyon and got on the dragon’s back, like thisー” _

_ Thomas got up from the bed, handed Jeremy the candle, and proceeded to act out the rest of the story. _

_ “ーand when he got onto his back, he thrust his sword into the dragon’s back.” He made a thrusting motion with his imaginary sword. “He thought he had slayed the beast, so he cut off one of the horns and hopped off. But, as he was walking away, the dragon rose onto its feet and breathed enough fire to kill the knight before he knew what was going on.” _

_ Thomas walked back over to the bed and grabbed the candle from his brother, holding it up to his face for dramatic effect. “Legend says that the beast still haunts the canyon caves to this day, searching for his missing horn.” _

_ Jeremy looked at his brother’s serious face for a moment before bursting into a fit of laughter. _

_ “That’s the dumbest scary story I’ve ever heard! I wasn’t even scared!” _

_ “You were too! I could tell!” _

_ “I was not! It would have been better if you had said that the knight’s screams could still be heard in the canyon caves. Just having a dragon without a horn isn’t scary at all.” He placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I know you can do better than that.” _

_ “I didn’t make that one up, Jeremy! I read about it in a book!” Thomas crossed his arms. _

_ “Oh yeah? Which book?” _

_ “I...I don’t remember the name of it. But believe me! I didn’t make it up!” Thomas got off of the bed and walked to the door. “I’m gonna prove it to you.” _

The dream shifted.

_ A snake slithering on a dirt path, spooking both horses. Thomas’ horse rearing on its back legs, sending him flying backwards. His head hitting the ground with a sickening  _ crack! _ Jeremy running to his side, but it was too late. _

_ The young prince of Black Rock was dead at thirteen. _

\- - - - -

“You alright there, your highness?” Robin nudged Jeremy as they walked, bringing him out of his daydream.

“Hm? Oh, yes. I’m fine.” He smoothed out his shirt nervously.

“Are you sure? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I’m just nervous about the canyon caves...that’s all.”

“I wouldn’t be. They’re just some stupid caves. Nothing like the open sea. What could possibly be waiting there for us? A monster?” Robin erupted in laughter and Jeremy held back tears.

He had felt the same way when his brother had told him that story almost five years ago.

“Oh lighten up, Jere-Bear.” He nudged Jeremy again. “We’ll be fine.”

“I hope so.” He muttered under his breath.

\- - - - -

Their trip to the canyon caves went surprisingly well. According to Dolls, the caves consisted of twenty-something caves that all served as tunnels to a giant canyon. They were dangerous to travel through, so most people avoided them when possible.

But since Bulshar’s soldiers didn’t seem to know any better, Waverly decided to set them straight. Currently, Waverly and the others were crouched behind a large fallen tree, giving them the perfect view of one of the cave entrances. Two soldiers marched back and forth in front of the gaping entrance and Waverly noticed they both looked worried.

“Where’s the third guy?” Doc whispered to Waverly.

Nicole shushed him and pointed to the soldiers. She cupped her hand around her ear, signaling them to listen.

“ーshouldn’t have gone in alone.”

“He’ll be fine. Give him ten more minutes.”

“I just don’t think it was a good idea.”

“You’re such a worrier. Sit down and enjoy the beautiful day! He’ll be back, you’ll see.”

Immediately after those words left the soldier’s mouth, there was a loud roar followed by a blood-curdling scream that came from the inside of the cave. Both soldiers scrambled for their swords and stared into the cave.

Waverly took the opportunity to strike, with the captain right behind her. She swung the hilt of her sword, hitting one of the soldier’s shoulders with it and causing him to collapse. The second soldier turned right as Doc reached him, stabbing him in the left shoulder. Jeremy yelled in panic. The captain staggered back a few steps. He steadied his feet and raised his sword in his left hand to fight again.

The soldier laughed. “How are you going to fight like that?”

Captain Holliday glanced down at his left shoulder, looked back up at the soldier, and let out a low chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” The soldier demanded, raising his sword higher.

“I know something you don’t.” Doc teased in a sing-song voice.

“And what might that be?”

“I’m not left-handed. Nor am I a swordsman.” Doc dropped his sword and reached for one of his pistols with his right hand.

The soldier tried to strike but the captain out drew him and fired a shot into the soldier’s leg. He disarmed the soldier when he bent over in pain and kicked him to the ground.

“I guess we are even now.”

Waverly watched in awe at the way Doc fought, and was immediately grateful she had become allies with him. She made a mental note to never make him mad ー especially when he had his pistols on him.

“Where’s the third one?” Wynonna asked the second soldier. “Did the fucker go into the cave?”

“One of them did!” The soldier yelled as he reached for his leg. Every time he reached, Doc would swat his hand away. “H-he went into the jungle to get some food! We haven’t eaten in a day!”

Dolls knelt next to him. “You said one of them. Are you suggesting that there are more than three of you?”

“Yes! One more! He went inside the cave!”

Nicole glanced at Waverly. Waverly knew what they needed to do.

“Leave him, captain. Let’s go inside.”

“W-what?” No!” Jeremy yelled in protest.

“Why not?”

“There’s a dragon in there! It’ll annihilate us all!”

“Jeremy, you cannot be serious.” The captain clamped a hand on the king’s shoulder with a somewhat forced laugh. “He cannot be serious! Dragons? They don’t exist!”

Another loud roar echoed through the cave.

“What was that?” Chrissy’s shaky voice asked what they were all thinking.

“It was the dragon! I swear!” Jeremy looked to be on the verge of tears.

“What are we going to do, Waves?” Wynonna asked her. She would never admit it, but Wynonna also looked terrified.

“Guys…” Dolls muttered.

“I say we go into the cave. Surely the eight of us can stop whoever, or  _ whatever _ , is in there.” Waverly replied.

“Guys…” Dolls repeated, standing up and pointing back to the forest.

“What theー” Nicole turned around and her body went stiff.

Waverly turned around to see the third soldier facing them, bow at the ready.

“Stay where you are!” The soldier yelled.

Waverly put her sword away and raised her hands over her head. “Please don’t shoot. Let’s talk about this.” She tried to reason and took a step toward him.

“I said stay where you are!”

There was a third roar, causing the entire cave to rumble and a few rocks to fall.

“Waverly, the cave is going to collapse. We have to go in now.” Nicole said just loud enough for the princess to hear.

Waverly put one of her hands behind her back, held up three fingers, and took a step back.

“Who are you?” The soldier yelled.

Waverly lowered another finger.

“WHO ARE YOU?”

Waverly lowered another finger, one more to go.

“I SAIDー”

Waverly lowered her last finger and took off, sprinting for the cave.

She heard the soldier yell something and release an arrow in her direction.

The cave rumbled, some more rocks falling, and she knew Nicole was right: the cave was going to collapse.

\- - - - -

Dolls saw Waverly sprinting to the cave and immediately pulled Wynonna out of the line of fire.

Nicole took off after Waverly, which was no surprise to Dolls. It was when the captain took off in his direction that Dolls got confused. Chrissy and Jeremy charged the soldier, trying to get him to stop shooting while Robin disarmed the other injured soldier again.

The cave entrance was going to collapse at any moment and Dolls knew what had to be done.

Dolls pushed Wynonna toward Waverly, Nicole, and the captain. “Go with them!”

“What? Without you? Hell no!” Wynonna gripped his hand. The rumbling in the cave made it impossible to hear anything short of a loud yell.

“Go, Earp! I need you to go now!”

“No, Dolls! Come with us!”

“It’ll be alright!”

“But you promised to be there for me!” Wynonna tried her best to hold back the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. “You promised to protect me!”

“You don’t need to be protected, you are a strong and skilled woman!” Dolls hoped the look in his eyes got his message across. “Meet us at the top of the canyon! Over by the dragon’s cove!”

“Dragon’s cove?” She asked him.

“Yes!” Dolls nodded his head vigorously. “Meet us there as soon as you can!”

“Butー” Dolls cut her off with a passionate kiss.

The cave rumbled some more and a few more rocks fell as he pulled away.

“I’ll be waiting for you at the dragon’s cove. Whatever you do, whatever happens, just keep going, and keep fighting.” And with that, he shoved Wynonna into the cave.

She stumbled, tripped over a few rocks, and fell, but the captain caught her. Dolls ran out of the cave before the falling rocks sealed the entrance shut.

Dolls faced the now sealed cave entrance and took a deep breath. He turned around to see Chrissy, Jeremy, and Robin staring at him, with the two soldiers unconscious.

“We’re meeting them at dragon’s cove.”

“You know where that is, Xavier?” Chrissy asked with a hand on her hip.

“I really don’t think we should go there.” Jeremy was shaking with fear. Dolls wasn’t sure if it was due to his fight with the soldier, or about the dragon that supposedly lived within the canyon.

“We have to. That’s where we’re meeting them. The sooner we get there, the better.” Dolls walked past the three of them and headed toward dragon’s cove.

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's pretty short for what I normally write, but this is mostly just a prologue type deal to get you familiar with the universe and situation. This idea also came to me in a fever dream type state so bear with me as it's going to be one hell of a rollercoaster
> 
> Please let me know what you're thinking so far! I love feedback!
> 
> Follow me on twitter: @deputyydipshit


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